Igniparous
by Rivendell101
Summary: Dragons. Fire born beasts larger than houses, wicked fangs and claws that could tear people to pieces. They train them. They ride them. They fight beside them. Eventyr, an academy in Northern Ishgar, is where young men and women go to train for the Ryttere, the military's Dragon Corps. But dragons aren't the only thing Natsu and Lucy discover there. / hiatus until Oct./rewriting
1. Chapter 1

**AN: New story time! Hell Yeah! Be sure to drop a review and let me know what you thought! 3**

* * *

 **Igniparous**

 **Chapter One**

Lucy glances at the battered tapestry on the wall, thoughts straying from what Makarov is telling her, the words becoming white noise, hazy and easily forgotten. It's an old thing, the tapestry, frayed at the edges and bloodstained. Her gaze traces the lines in the fabric, following the fine weaving of each stitch until she can't find where one ends and the next begins. For a long moment she wonders how long it's been here, rotting away in this room, left for the bugs. It's collecting dust, only a thin layer, but dust all the same. Makarov must have forgotten about it over the summer when he left for The North. No matter, the old thing was decaying the last time she saw it, she doubts it can be saved now.

Her gaze flicks over the art, taking in the monstrous shapes and dimming colors: Dragons. The tapestry has been around since the first Dragon War, years and years ago. The thing should be in a museum somewhere, some place where it can be protected from time. Makarov never has been one for giving up his prizes, however. She forgets the story behind it, but she knows he must have won the old thing, probably back during his days as a gambler.

He doesn't do that much anymore, not since before Lucy was born. From what she's been told, he was good at the game, could play his cards right and outmatch just about anyone, but when he lost, he lost hard. It cost him his marriage, but he wouldn't let it cost him his children, or his eventual grandchildren. Despite this, Lucy knows he still has a fondness for risk taking, though he's more strategic about cutting his losses.

She remembers an occasion where he had a bit too much bourbon and too little luck during a game of poker. It had cost him his pants and perhaps a little of his dignity. Regardless, it was certainly a holiday to remember, even if she was mortified to see her grandfather strip down to nothing.

It was Laxus' fault, really. He was the one that brought out the bourbon in the first place, despite knowing what a mess it would make. He should have known better than to do that, but she supposes that with everything that happened around that time, Laxus just wanted all of them to forget. They all just needed to forget, at least for a little while. She wishes it was that simple, but forgetting isn't nearly as easy as it sounds, and the bourbon only led to more heartbreak than it was worth.

Laxus tried though, and that's more than Lucy did.

She runs an absentminded hand through her hair, tossing her long, messy hair over her right shoulder as she shifts her gaze to glance out the window to her left, watching as people begin to filter through the front gates, movements sluggish and clumsy from the long trek from the train station.

First years, if she had to guess. Most of the second years are already on campus, arriving a week early in order to secure their classes for their final year. They've already taken up root in the south side of the castle, laying claim to what will be there's for less than one more year.

She can't imagine what it must be like, making a home here for two years, making friends, only to be shipped off in the end, either to the front lines or to the mountains, to fight or study or both. She'll have to get used to that, she supposes, considering she's here now.

Lucy thinks she's ready, though she isn't entirely sure what for. All she knows is that she misses flying, misses being up in the air, being free. She misses the excitement of it all and warmth of rough scales and the smell of brimstone and fire. She misses dragons.

That's why, when Makarov asked if she wanted to apply to the academy, Lucy didn't hesitate in saying yes. Her grades in school were well enough alone to gain her a spot on the roster, but she also knows that she's had an easier entry than most, knows that people will think her connections will matter more than her experiences and the hours she's spent researching for this very moment.

She won't let anyone ruin this chance for her, not this time. Not when this means so much to her.

In a way, this feels like coming home. Eventyr feel like home with its dragons and wisteria, with its crowded halls and dust where their should be dust, rather than layers of cobwebs instead of life.

A weight lifts from her chest at the thought. She's home, she's come home. It's been too long since she's been away, shipped off to a boarding school in the capital, not allowed to leave over breaks because she had nowhere to go back to. A lie, she knows, he home is here, but Makarov was never her official guardian, and without official documentation from her father, she was stuck there in the city.

Lucy winces at the thought, tugging at a knot in her hair while her teeth tug at her lower lip.

She tried to leave the school as soon as she turned eighteen, fought tooth and nail for it, but they wouldn't let her, even when she brought up the legality of it. She tried to call Makarov, but they jammed the signal. She was stuck there for the entire summer, until they no longer had an excuse to keep her.

And here she is, exhausted from the train ride and in no mood for interaction with others. All she wants to do is sleep, but she knows it'll be hours before she can do so. Between orientation and meeting roommates, she doubts she'll be able to turn in early.

It won't be fun, but she thinks she might be able to squeeze in a nap between orientation and meeting her roommates, she'll just have to skip the tour, something she doesn't need to begin with.

"—does that make sense?" Lucy jolts back to attention suddenly, head snapping around to meet her grandfather's eyes, his gaze expectant, though there's a fond little smile on his lips. She knows she's been caught, she should have been paying attention, but knows all the rules already, she was practically raised within these walls.

Lucy hesitates only a moment before responding, trying to guess what he was telling her, but fumbling for an answer. Makarov has always been tricky with his words, he likes to ask strange questions, just to make sure people are listening, and she knows she's fallen into his trap. "Yes," she answers slowly, eyes narrowing just the slightest as she stares back at him.

His lips twist into a smile and Lucy immediately knows she's said the wrong thing. Fantastic. "You haven't been listening to a word I've said, have you?" Makarov asks her, gaze absolutely delighted as he grins at her, eyes twinkling with mischief. Instead of being mad or frustrated, Makarov enjoys the satisfaction that comes with embarrassing people who don't listen.

The greatest advice he ever game her was never to get mad, only to laugh when people refuse to listen. Lucy thinks that's a lot easier said than done. She's halfway to starting a fight with the next old man that talks over her.

"Not really," she admits after a long moment, shoulders heaving with a sigh. Lucy flashes him a small smile, but it doesn't reach her eyes. Winding her hair around her finger, Lucy lowers her gaze from his, an embarrassed flush spreading across her cheeks.

Makarov sighs, as well, his expression turning gentle when he looks at her. He's nothing if not fair, and knows that she's not doing it on purpose, at least, not trying to. "Lucy," he says softly, reaching across his desk to place a hand on top of one of hers. "I know this is hard for you—"

She cuts him off, shaking her head slowly. "No harder than it has been any other year," she tells him, giving a wry smile. And it's true. She's dealt with absentee parents and new schools before. She's an adult. She can handle this.

His lips press into a thin line, but he nods. His eyes don't believe her, but Lucy doesn't expect them to. Makarov has always known when she was a liar. He calls it intuition, but she thinks it's magic. "Do you remember what to do?" he asks her, instead of calling her out.

Lucy smiles, nodding. "Go to the grand hall, listen to you give a speech, get my schedule from Macao, got to the dorms…" she lists, trailing off slowly when Makarov sends her an unimpressed look. "I know what to do," she promises, giggling when he makes a face at her. She's teasing and he knows it, it's only fair, considering what he pulled earlier.

"After orientation there's the tour," he reminds her, giving her a mock-stern look. It's a joke and they both know it, but Makarov is certainly playing the part of strict headmaster at the moment.

Lucy wonders if he's practicing for when he has to give his speech in just a few minutes, it always takes him awhile to get into character. Lucy once asked him why he bothered to put up a front, when he was just going to drop it as soon as the semester starts. He laughed then, told her he wanted to whip everyone into shape. It's best they know he means business first, but is there to listen and comfort when needed.

She rolls her eyes, leaning farther back in her chair and yawning as she glances out the window once again. "I don't need the tour and you know it," she teases, flashing him a smile before standing. Lucy stretches quickly, rolling a kink out of her neck before scooping up her bag and tossing it over her shoulder. She pulls her notebook off his desk, walking backwards towards the door.

Makarov huffs at her, but sends her off with a quick wave and a shake of his head. "Stay out of trouble!" he calls after her, sending her a pointed look as she worms her way out of his office.

Lucy nearly trips over an old rug that's become bunched near the door, but catches herself before she can fall, one hand braced on the doorframe. She giggles to herself, waving back at her grandfather.

"Save it for Laxus," she jokes, snorting, "not me." Really, she's always been the better cousin, at least in regards to not picking fights with strangers over any and all things. Makarov should have a little more faith in her. She's more Heartfilia than Dreyar, after all.

She's about to duck out the door when he calls her back. "Lucy!" He's more scolding than anything else, as if she's a naughty child. She stops anyway, turning back to face him, unsurprised to see his raised brow and downturned lips, a loaded question in his eyes that Lucy doesn't want to answer.

"I'll be fine," she tells him, wondering if she's telling the truth. Sometimes she just isn't sure what she is anymore. Some days are better than others, and this summer has been especially hard. She's getting better though, slowly, but she's getting better.

"Lucy," he calls her name again, quieter, but much more firm. He holds her gaze for a long time, gauging her reaction with clever eyes. His lips press into a paper-thin line, worry etched into the lines on his face.

Lucy smiles again more genuine this time. Her gaze softens, and she traces his worry lines with a careful eye. "I'll be fine, Gramps," she whispers, knowing he can hear her in the silence of the room. "I promise."

He gives her a slow nod and Lucy sends him one last smile before ducking out of the room.

Her smile slips as soon as she disappears down the hall, her expression going blank as she finds herself alone again. She doesn't mind being alone, she likes the quiet, it gives her time to think. Being alone has never scared her either, she was never afraid of the dark and didn't get nervous when her too big house was empty, tree branches rustling in the wind and casting shadows on the walls. No, Lucy doesn't mind being alone.

She hates the loneliness that comes with it.

She's never had many friends, though not for lack of want or lack of trying. She simply hasn't been able to connect with anyone that isn't family. The people at her boarding school were vapid and shallow, more interested in their money than their education. Lucy had never socialized much before that. She's an only child and her best friend was her older cousin. And it's not that she doesn't love Laxus, because she does with her entire heart, but she's been finding it more and more difficult to talk to him about certain things. Especially when he's the problem.

Not that Laxus is a regular problem for her, but he can be a jerk sometimes. He can be too brash and sometimes he just doesn't think before he speaks. He has a good heart though. He's the best cousin she could have ever asked for.

And maybe that's why she's still so sour about him leaving without saying goodbye. It's been two years since she's seen him; two years since he went and joined the _Ryttere_ —the Dragon Corps—without so much as a word from him. She's never been quite so angry with him before, never wanted to grab him and just _throttle him_ for being so stupid. He means well, she knows. He only wants to help people, but he didn't say goodbye. He promised her he would say goodbye.

And she's not sure what hurts worse, the bitterness of him leaving without so much as a goodbye, or the mind numbing fear that he won't ever be coming home. Laxus is smart and brave and resourceful, but the Corps are dangerous. People die all the time, bodies aren't always found, and the word "missing" is more terrifying than "deceased."

Lucy doesn't like not knowing. And she really doesn't like being given false hope.

She shakes the thoughts away, hoisting her bag higher on her shoulder as she stalks down the halls, forcing herself to move faster, lest she be late. She doesn't know most of the professors here personally, but the ones she does know aren't forgiving when it comes to tardiness. She's rather not try to sneak into the auditorium while Porlyusica is speaking. Lucy rather enjoys having her head where it is now.

Gildarts is more forgiving, but he has a penchant for embarrassing his students. She would keep her head, but not her pride.

Between the pair of them, she's not sure how she'll survive the next two years.

Her best guess is long nights and lots and lots of coffee.

Lucy smiles to herself, biting back a laugh at the thought. It'll be a difficult two years, but it'll be worth it, in the end. Besides, the front lines need more riders. And Dragonologists are always looking for more recruits. Though they never say it, Lucy knows the war is taking its toll. Ishgar is fighting a war on two fronts, one in the East against the Deluce Empire, and a second in the North, against the Jotunn, frost giants marching South.

Deluce has its own Corps, mounted riders on dragons and sometimes wyverns. Ishgar has been at ceasefire with them for nearly ten years, though it's not a steady one. Small skirmishes still happen along the border, but all out war is at a halt, at least for the time being. Lucy doesn't know how long it might last, but she hopes the kings can come to a truce sooner than later.

She hates the selfishness of royalty, hates how they send men to war over petty differences, hates how they can't fight for themselves, hates how—

Something sturdy slams into her, knocking her backwards and onto the ground with a heavy thud. Her head hits the floor hard, the breath slamming from her lungs in a rush as pain shoots though her skull. Lucy shrieks, hands flying up and clutching at her head. Pencils fly everywhere as her bag is ripped from her shoulder, her sketchbook and notebook following suit, pages rustling and spreading across the floor, black and white sketches and splashes of color whirling around before finally settling. The contents of her bag spills out onto the marble flooring.

Lucy rolls to her side, legs curling up to her chest and hands still gingerly holding her pounding head. She grits her teeth, whimpering and biting back tears as she feels the ache spreading everywhere. Above her, the person she ran into curses loudly, dropping to their knees beside her.

"Are you okay?" The concern in their voice is nearly palpable, but Lucy doesn't notice, being far too entranced by her pounding head. A moment later, she feels a hand on her arm, rough, warm fingers brushing against the back of her head. "Shit! You aren't bleeding are you?" Lucy squeezes her eyes shut tighter. The male—she's assuming that the person who ran into her is a male, judging by the deepness of their voice—murmurs something she doesn't catch, gently sifting his fingers through her hair. "I'm so sorry," he says, softly this time. "I wasn't watching and I just—I'm so sorry."

Lucy releases a shaky breath, hands leaving her head as she slowly opens her eyes. Worried, stunningly green eyes meet hers, wide open in shock. Messy, pink hair falls into the man's eyes, but he pushes the strands away absentmindedly. His left ear has two silver hoops towards the top, and below that, a black cuff. He bites his lip and Lucy's gaze is drawn to the silver ring in the right side of his bottom lip. It moves when he worries the flesh and he reaches towards her, Lucy vaguely noticing a black mark on the inside of his wrist—a tattoo, but she can't tell what.

His hand curls around her arm and he swears as he glances at his watch. Lucy is yanked to her feet, though not unkindly, and then the man smiles at her before taking off down the hallway and disappearing before Lucy can fully register what's happened.

She shakes it off, blinking rapidly as she watches him round a corner. The orientation hall, if she had to guess. He must be a first year, like her. Though, he must not know where he's going, considering he's headed in the wrong direction. Lucy considers calling after him, but she doubts he's still within hearing range. Besides, she doesn't have the time to go chase after some stranger right now.

Lucy glances down at the strewed remains of her bag, pencils and notebooks spread across the floor, her sketchbook a mess. Her lips twist into a frown when she sees the mess, annoyance flooding through her. She rolls her eyes, stooping to scoop up her things in a hurry. Lucy deposits them back into her bag, choosing time over organization as she tosses everything inside haphazardly.

She can fix it later.

Lucy hurries away without a second thought, racing down the halls as quietly as she can. She reaches the auditorium quickly enough, the clock showing time to spare. Lucy slips inside unnoticed, ducking into the closest seat she can find. No one appears to notice her semi-late arrival, but she thinks that might be for the best. She can already guess what Makarov would say if he caught her arriving late, and she's in no mood for that kind of teasing at the moment.

Speaking of Makarov, Lucy is surprised to find him already in the center of the room, a sly smile on his lips. She'll never understand how he gets around so much faster than her, especially with such short legs, but Lucy has never asked and she doubts he would ever tell. It is his greatest secret, after all.

Makarov is about to speak when the doors behind Lucy fly open, banging loudly against the walls. Lucy's head snaps up and she turns to see the man that ran into her, panting and disheveled as he stumbles into the room, practically collapsing onto a seat beside two men that turn to heckle him, snickering and shoving at his shoulders.

Lucy turns away from him, looking back at Makarov, who also eyes the male curiously, as if debating whether or not to call him out for his lateness. She's surprised when he doesn't, but shrugs it off. They're already sunning late, after all. The last train into Erydia was delayed this morning, and Lucy knows Makarov hates for his schedule to be interrupted.

He'll have to cut his speech short today, though Lucy doesn't see that as a bad thing. Most of Makarov's speeches are tedious anyway. She thinks he likes the sound of his own voice perhaps a little too much, but it's endearing, in a way. He always knows the right thing to say, even if it does take him awhile to get there.

He clears his throat suddenly, but most of the room doesn't notice, merely continuing to chat even as Makarov's smile turns malicious. A group of second years sits towards the back of the room, and Lucy bites back a smile as she sees them poking and nudging each other, snickering as they wait for Makarov to explode.

And explode he does.

"Listen up, Brats!" Makarov's booming voice echoes through the room, startling its occupants into a stunned, heavy silence that feels more loud than their talking. Lucy nearly laughs, but manages to catch herself. It's amusing to her, how her sweet, elderly grandfather can stun a group of two hundred into utter silence with so few words.

What he lacks in size and overall intimidation, he makes up for with a commanding presence. She's never seen someone else silence a room so effortlessly. It's always a joy to witness.

Laxus has the same ability, though it hardly compares to his grandfather's. Sometimes Lucy wishes she could do the same, however, at times she prefers going unnoticed. It's nice, being able to slip around the halls without anyone seeing.

The second years aren't nearly as tactful as Lucy, and only just manage to smother their laughter when Makarov's gaze swivels to glare at them, sobering them immediately. She hears one of them choke slightly, but doesn't recognize them.

No one makes a sound. For a moment she doesn't think anyone is breathing.

Then, Makarov smiles, and it's like the tension in the room is suddenly cracked, shattered, and splintered. The air loses its chill, and she watches as the room breathes deeply, terror momentarily forgotten.

Makarov's eyes twinkle in the low light as he glances around the room, slow and deliberate as he looks at _everyone_. He catches sight of Lucy in the crowd, and she swears she sees him wink when he sees her, but it might be a trick of the light. "Welcome to castle Eventyr," he greets the room, arms spread wide and welcoming, "your new home for the next two years."

There's a muffled reaction from the crowd, something like awe spilling through, but Lucy can't be sure. She knows what it's like to be trapped in a new home for so long. And though she knows Makarov isn't nearly as strict, she can't help but wonder how the others are feeling. Trapped, nervous, angry?

Lucy bites at her lower lip, rolling the skin between her teeth as she looks at the line of professors behind her grandfather. A few she recognizes: Porlyusica, Gildats, Macao, but most she doesn't.

Perhaps that's for the best.

Makarov is silent for a long moment, as if mulling over his words. Lucy snorts quietly, rolling her eyes. She knows he's had this speech planned for at least a month, if not more. He's only playing for the dramatics. Though, she thinks, casting a quick glance around the room, it certainly seems to be working.

"To begin," Makarov tells them, wetting his lips and arraigning his notes on the podium before him. "I would like to thank you all for your dedication to this country." There's a stunned silence and the heaviness blankets the room once again. There's always a quiet pause when the war is brought up, a hush, as if speaking of it suddenly makes it more real. "As well as your willingness to fight," he finishes quickly, noticing the stillness as well. "That is not an easy thing to ask of people."

No one speaks. No one moves. Lucy's breath catches in her throat, thoughts of her father, her mother, _Laxus_ coming to mind. No, fighting is never an easy thing. Coming to this place can't be easy for most of the people here, but it is necessary. At least, it is for now.

The pregnant pause is broken by Makarov clearing his throat.

He takes a long, deep breath, hands tightening along the side of the podium. "There are few rules here," he continues, glancing at the new students, though also flashing a dark look towards the second years, as if reminding them as well. "But the ones that exist are non-negotiable." The second years shift, embarrassed or nervous, Lucy doesn't know. "This school is not a game, and I will not have anyone treat it as such."

It's firm, leaving no room for argument, and Lucy feels something like electricity crackle in the air, like lightning on a breeze. Sharp, it makes the skin tingle.

Makarov gives a sharp nod, eyes crinkling at the edges as he bites back a smile.

"Classes are mandatory Monday through Thursday," he tells the students, gaining excited titters from certain groups around the room, everyone thrilled at having the extra day off from classes. "Though, certain professors—" he cuts off, glancing sharply at Porlyusica, who scowls back at him, "—may have optional classes on Fridays." Hushed groans come from the room, none loud enough to pinpoint. "It's up to you whether or not you find your presence necessary." There's a teasing edge to his words, and Porlyusica's glare darkens, but Makarov ignores her.

Lucy is glad about the extra day, classes will be tough, she knows, and an extra day for studying or socializing will be beneficial.

"The entire campus is free reign." Lucy smiles at this, excited to explore the area once she gets the chance. She's missed the gardens especially, the sweet-smelling flowers that seem to always be in bloom, no matter the weather. Snow doesn't affect the wisteria, though Lucy isn't entirely sure why and Makarov simply refuses to tell her. "However," Makarov continues, cutting off an excited bought of chatter, "only those receiving a passing grade in their Dragonology courses are allowed near the dragons." There's a shuffle of disappointment and then Makarov chuckles. "Both for your own safety, as well as that of the dragons." He winks, gaining a laugh from a few students.

"Similarly, the city is off limits unless you have a pass from me, or one of your professors." He clucks his tongue, eyes narrowing for just a moment. "Even then, leaving campus is only allowed on days without classes, unless there is some type of emergency."

Lucy worries her lower lip, biting back a smile. She knows the reason for this rule. There was one night, roughly three years ago, when Laxus left campus on a Wednesday night. He came back piss drunk and naked at three in the morning, fell asleep in a classroom, and scared a couple of first year girls half to death when they found him in the morning.

Makarov's hypothesis is that they can prevent this from happening again once classrooms are locked on Thursday nights.

Personally, Lucy would have paid good money to see Laxus' face that morning, but she digresses.

"Pets are, as you already know, allowed on campus." He clears his throat loudly. "Within reason, _Mr. Gryder_ ," he finishes with a smirk, casting a look towards one of the second years that had been laughing earlier. The man yelps, sinking back in his seat as if it might swallow him and save him from embarrassment. "If it is not something allowed in your own home, it will not be allowed in the dorms. This includes anything larger than a common dog." He looks pained as he considers his next words. "There will be absolutely no cows allowed in the dorms."

Lucy has to smother her laughter with a hand, the image all too funny to her. She can't imagine how _that_ must have worked out.

"Finally, this school has a zero tolerance policy for violence and harassment." The room goes hush again, quelled by the seriousness in Makarov's tone. Even Lucy pauses, surprised by her grandfather's ferocity. His gaze turns icy, hard as steel, and his muscles go tense. "I will not allow anyone to be harmed in _my_ school, do I make myself clear?" He doesn't wait for an answer. "If I find out about _anything_ happening to one of my students, you will be removed, permanently."

It's dark and threatening, and Lucy thinks Makarov's outdone himself this time. The first years are sure to behave, at least for a while. Lucy doesn't doubt her grandfather's sincerity, either. He really won't hesitate to remove any troublemakers.

He dismisses everyone with a wave of his hand, turning his back to the students and meandering towards one of the doors. Lucy stands, swiveling around to escape through the doors before anyone can call for a tour.

"Oh!" Makarov's voice stops her, Lucy's fingers brushing against the door. "One last thing, before you go!" She waits, but doesn't turn around, even as she feels Makarov's eyes on her back. "Be safe, and do have fun."

There's a smile in his voice when he finishes. "The dragons certainly will."

* * *

Lucy skips the tour, instead grabbing her schedule and uniform and ducking out of the room, heading for the dorms on the North side of campus, slipping into her designated room without a sound.

Each dorm is the same, for all intent and purposes. A large commons room, comfortable for up to twenty people, though only intended for twelve. Two sets of stairs on either side of the room, one meant for feminine oriented students, the other for masculine. Six rooms atop each set of stairs, two bathroom on each side.

The rooms are small, from what Lucy saw earlier, but cozy, just large enough for a bed, desk, and closet, but not much else. However, there is a balcony off each room, and that's something Lucy thinks she might enjoy. She always has loved the sunshine, and she might be able to grow a few plants later in the year.

Regardless, Lucy doubts she'll be spending much time in the rooms. The commons seem far more inviting, warmer, almost, more lived in than the rooms. Lucy is glad for that, in a way. She's spent most of her life locked in too big rooms with little to do. At least the commons will be filled with _life_. She's excited about meeting new people, excited to make friends for possibly the first time.

Which is why she's waiting, curled on one of the couches with her legs tucked to her chest, a book propped against her knees. She's read it before, and isn't paying much attention to the words as she waiting. Mostly, Lucy is just enjoying the feel of the book in her hands, worn pages against her fingertips, ink dulled with age. It's an old favorite of hers, a fairy tale that her mother used to read to her at night. She practically knows it by heart.

Lucy stills as she hears the doorknob jiggle, a pair of giggling voices talking excitedly just outside the door. Her mouth goes dry suddenly, her eyes widening when the door is pushed open unexpectedly.

She's met with smiling faces and blue hair. Lucy blinks in surprise, but smiles when the two girls notice her. It takes them a moment, what with Lucy curled against the couch the way she is, but their eyes practically light up when they see her.

The shorter of the two grins when she sees Lucy, brushing her short, messy hair out of her face. Her brown eyes flick from Lucy to the book in her hands, her smile only widening when she reads the title. "Oh!" she gaps, clasping her hands together in front of her, practically bouncing on her heels. "You must be our other roommate!"

Lucy swallows down a laugh, amused by the girl's antics. Lucy can already tell she's going to be a fun person to talk to, a bit hyper, perhaps, but certainly interesting. "Hi," she replies quickly, feeling slightly awkward now that's she's actually talking to someone new. It's a lot easier in theory, she's quickly coming to learn. "I'm Lucy," she tells them, glancing between the two girls.

The taller of the two only nods, sending Lucy a shy, but happy smile and a quick wave.

"I'm Levy," the shorter tells her, dragging the other girl forward a few steps. Levy nudges the other girl with an elbow, making her yelp softly is surprise, a blush coating her cheeks. "And this is Juvia," she introduces, releasing Juvia in favor of clasping her hands behind her back.

Juvia looks mildly embarrassed to be put on the spot, blush deepening as the other girls stare at her.

Lucy tears her eyes away from Juvia, not wanting to make the other girl nervous. Juvia relaxes a moment later, sighing slightly, and Lucy releases her own breath. "Nice to meet you both," she tells them, casting a quick look between the two. For a moment, she wonders if they're sisters, but shakes the thought away quickly.

Juvia's face is thinner and Levy has a smaller, more upturned nose. The shape of their eyes are different, and, other than their hair, Lucy can't see much connecting the two.

She doesn't ask, of course, figuring one will mention it if they are, in fact, related in some way.

"You sure got here fast," Levy comments suddenly, a sly lilt to her voice. She quirks a brow at Lucy, as if knowing the other girl skipped the tour. "We only finished the tours a few minutes ago." Her lips twist into a mischievous grin, but she doesn't call Lucy out, much to her relief.

Her tongue feels heavy in her mouth for several seconds, Lucy not knowing what to say. "I'm a fast walker," she decides on. It's a half-truth, if nothing else. Lucy did indeed walk rather fast to escape having to tour the school. It's not exactly a _lie_.

Her mother used to tell her that white lies were worse than a normal lie, because you were being intentionally deceitful with the truth, but Lucy stopped putting stock in a dead woman's words several years ago.

Levy simply shrugs, accepting Lucy's excuse easily enough. Lucy is grateful for that, and she relaxes back into the furniture a moment later, more at ease suddenly. She doesn't want them to find out about her being related to the headmaster. Not so soon, anyway. She's here because she deserves to be here, not because of her connections. She won't have anyone assuming otherwise.

"Fair enough!" Levy glances up the left set of stairs suddenly, eyes narrowing in thought. She turns back to Lucy a moment later. "Did you already pick a room?" she asks, rocking on her heels. Lucy suddenly notices the bags the girls are holding, eyes widening slightly.

Lucy nods, smiling sheepishly. "Yeah, farthest to the right," she tells the pair, jerking her head towards the stairs. Really, there was nothing special about the room, at least, not that Lucy noticed. She just liked the feel of it when she stepped inside. It was inviting, like she was supposed to be there.

Levy snorts good-naturedly, raising a brow at Lucy, a small smile on her lips. "And closest to the bathroom," she teases.

That may have also played a part, yes.

Juvia snickers and Lucy releases an embarrassed giggle. "You caught me," she jokes back, feeling the tension slowly slip from her shoulders as she relaxes, suddenly feeling more comfortable around the pair. They're nice, for lack of a better word, all smiles and teasing. Lucy thinks that's something she could learn to love coming from them.

Sure, she's dealt with teasing from Laxus, but he's her cousin. This feels different, and not necessarily in a bad way.

Juvia suddenly perks up, her big, blue eyes going impossibly wise. Her hand shoots into the air and she practically bounces on her feet, blue hair falling around her shoulders in great waves. "Juvia calls the middle room!"

Lucy is a bit surprised by the third person, but brushes it aside easily enough, giggling at Juvia's enthusiasm.

Levy, however, is not nearly as amused. She whirls around, gasping, a look of utter betrayal on her face. "Juvia!" she gasps, sending the girl a mock serious look and pouting. "That's so unfair!" The shorter girl huffs and Lucy releases a surprised giggle when Levy actually stomps her foot against the rug. There's a twinkle in her eyes, however, so Lucy knows she isn't serious.

Juvia simply shrugs, grin positively wicked as she bats her eyes at Levy. "Levy, hesitated," she reasons, looking positively satisfied with herself, amused with Levy's pouting.

"Juvia has a point," Lucy agrees, nodding along with the other girl, biting her lip to keep from laughing.

Levy isn't nearly as amused. She puff out her cheeks, hands on her hips, and sends the two a mock-glare that only serves to make them laugh harder. Eventually, Levy laughs as well, unable to hold up her front. "Bullies," she jokes, huffing as she drops down onto the opposite end of the couch Lucy is still curled upon.

Juvia smiles politely at Lucy, but settles into a chair, rather than snagging the cushion between them. Lucy merely smiles back, understanding, but decides not to comment.

It's quiet for a long moment, the three of them settling in silently. Lucy is mildly surprised by how comfortable she feels, expecting more awkwardness at suddenly meeting new people. She's pleasantly surprised by how normal it all feels. She was expecting something more, in a way, more of a tense atmosphere, more heavy silences or over-compensation of speaking.

But it feels natural. Nice.

"So how do you two know each other?" Lucy asks after several seconds, finally setting her book aside as she glances between the pair. Her arms curl around her legs, gaze curious and lips pressed into a slight frown. Perhaps they are related, after all, judging by the twin looks they send her, equal surprise reflecting in both of them.

"We don't," Levy says simply, shrugging slightly. She stretches out on the couch, toes briefly brushing against Lucy's bare ankle. Levy sends her an apologetic smile, but Lucy merely waves her off.

"You don't?" she echoes, blinking in surprise. Sure, she assumed they weren't related, but to not know each other at all? That comes as a surprise to Lucy. She thought for sure they were friends, at the very least, especially with the way Levy was acting.

Maybe Levy is just more friendly than Lucy gave her credit for.

Levy gins and it's all teeth. "We met on the way up! Wanted to get to our rooms as soon as possible." She wrinkles her nose, glancing at the stairs once again.

"And how'd that work out for you?" Lucy teases, brushing her hair off of her neck and shifting so her legs are crossed beneath her. Juvia watches their exchange silently, amusement in her eyes; she hides a giggle behind her hand.

Levy just groans. "Evidently not very well."

Another stretch of silence. Juvia hums under her breath, stretching out her legs and fiddling with the hem of her shirt.

"So we have the weekend to ourselves," she shy girl states more so than asks, gaining the rapt attention of both Lucy and Levy. Lucy is momentarily surprised to hear the other girl speak up, but Levy just seems elated, doing a happy little wiggle on her end of the couch.

Lucy finds herself speaking without meaning to. "Yeah, Headmaster Makarov," she smothers a frown, not used to the taste of it on her tongue, she'd much prefer to call him like she always does, but circumstances are different, "always likes to give students the weekend to adjust and explore," she explains, stating the same thing Laxus told her so many years ago.

Levy considers this for a long moment, lips pressed together pensively, as if mulling it over. "Well, I'm glad," she decides, crossing her thin arms over her chest and flashing a big smile. "I would probably _die_ if we started classes tomorrow."

Juvia and Lucy share a look at Levy's dramatics, the former rolling her eyes just the slightest, though there's an almost fond smile on her face.

"They can't be that bad," Juvia argues, voice soft. Lucy almost doesn't hear her, but she blames her wandering thoughts on that.

Lucy goes to voice her agreement, when Levy cuts her off with a groan. "I'm not ready to fly," she practically moans, a pathetic little frown pulling at her lips. She's teasing, of course, more dramatic than needed, but there is a hint of fear lurking in her eyes. She curls into herself, pouting.

"You don't want to fly?" Lucy blurts, confused. Most would jump at the opportunity to fly, that's half the reason people come to this academy. People don't just choose to study dragons on a whim, there's always a reason, some deep-rooted need for adventure. Something that makes their heart race, a wanting.

Levy, however, just shrugs, shaking her head just the slightest. "Not really," she admits, blushing all the way down to her neck. "I just want to study them," she adds quietly, a nervous giggle spilling from her lips. "Dragons, I mean." She wets her lips, then turns to Juvia, quick to change the subject. "And what about you, Juvia?"

She considers the question for several seconds, fingers tapping against her cheek as she bites her lip. "Juvia thinks it would be fun to fly," she tells them after a long pause. She wrinkles her nose, then smiles timidly. "But also scary."

Levy nods, accepting this. "What do you want to do, Lucy?" she questions, raising a curious eyebrow.

Lucy smiles, but it's strained. "I'm still figuring that out."

* * *

 **AN: So, here's the new story! Hurray! I'll try to update every Tuesday, but I might be starting a new job soon, so it's hard to tell!**

 **Be sure to leave a review and let me know your thoughts!**

 **Glossary:**

 **Eventyr- Norwegian = "fairy tale"**

 **Ryttere- Norwegian = "riders"**


	2. Chapter 2

**AN: Here's chapter two! Be sure to drop a review at the end and tell me what you thought!**

* * *

 **Igniparous**

 **Chapter Two**

The tall doors to Eventyr's library are shoved open slowly, Lucy's arms straining to push the heavy wood. The doors are solid, at least three times Lucy's height and as wide as she is tall. The white bark is smooth beneath her palms, doors carved from Phantasmas—Ghost Trees. Bone white, the trees are sturdy, only growing in the far North, roots embedded in the faces of mountains. The doors squeal as she pushes them open, hinges worn with age, iron-casted and as old as the school itself, forged with dragon's fire from an old Northern Bolvkin.

In fact, Lucy is pretty sure it's the same Bolvkin as the one that's still residing on campus. He's a big thing, one of the largest dragons on record, but also lazy. The dragon, nicknamed Bolly by the students, can usually be found somewhere on school grounds, curled up and fast asleep. Bolly is a big, useless thing, but Lucy's sure he must have earned it, being centuries old. While not _tame_ like many of the dragons on campus, Bolly is as domestic as they come, allowing students to climb on him and keeping the school heated during the coldest nights of winter.

She smiles at the thought of the old, white dragon, having many fond memories of him during her long Summers spent at Eventyr. He was a particularly fun place to curl up with an old book, and Lucy used to enjoy reading to the Bolvkin, sure he could understand her. The fins behind his ears would always twitch while she read, and he snort pale plums of smoke when she would say something particularly funny. A clever old boy.

Lucy would never admit it aloud, but she still reads to him when she has the chance. He always listens, and that's all she's ever needed someone to do for her.

"Wow," Levy breathes behind her, parted lips twisting into a gleeful smile as she steps into the large room, greedy eyes drinking in the row and rows of books, so many Lucy isn't sure she could count them all. Stepping farther into the room, Levy spins in a slow circle, barely breathing as her gaze sweeps around the room, drinking in the high windows and the light spilling in, the glass chandeliers sparkling overhead. She turns back to Lucy, grinning as she walks backwards into the room. "This is amazing," she murmurs, breathless and stunned by the beauty of the old library.

Lucy giggles in response, following Levy inside and leaving the heavy doors opened wide. It's too much of a hassle to open them again and she wouldn't doubt that more people will be coming for their own books later, getting them early, rather than risk running out of textbooks. Well, the second years will, she isn't sure about the first.

"Told you," she jokes, hoisting her bag higher on her shoulder as she slips into the room. The smell of old books and spilled ink clouds her senses, soothing her.

And she did tell them earlier, Levy and Juvia, that is. They didn't see it during the tour, not the inside anyway. Lucy promised to show them late last night, Levy wanting to go exploring but Juvia wanting to stay in the rooms and curl up to watch a movie. The pair looked halfway to starting an argument when Lucy promised to take them in the morning, if they were up to it. Levy was excited and Juvia simply smiled, showing her quiet thanks.

Lucy woke with the sun, and was pleasantly surprised to find Levy waking up as well. Juvia, however, wasn't nearly as much of a morning person. She groaned when Lucy went to wake her, mumbling something Lucy couldn't make out before rolling over and falling back asleep. Lucy shrugged and left the girl to her sleep, figuring she could simply take her later in the day, given that none of them have any plans.

They only have two days until classes start, that's not much time to get everything in order, especially given the only places to go are down the mountain, and no one wants to make that trip more than one day in a row.

Walking several miles uphill is _not_ fun.

Levy laughs suddenly, hair whipping around her face as she spins around. "You were right," she tells Lucy, practically hopping up and down as she traipses into the empty room, the pair being the only ones around. "I'm amazed," she murmurs, running her fingertips across the gold banister, peering down the side to look at the lower floor of the library. She squeals, but stays by Lucy's side instead of running farther into the room.

"Most beautiful place in the school," Lucy whispers back, leading Levy farther from the door and closer towards the back of the room, where the textbooks are kept for safe keeping. Lucy smiles as she walks passed a large row of well worn books, leather bound and depicting dragons or gold crests on the front. Genealogies and family-archives, Biographies by Dragonologists and soldiers. Anything and everything.

Blinking, Levy peers up at her, quirking a teasing brow. "What about the gardens?" she jokes, nudging Lucy with her elbow.

She laughs, remembering how she went on and on last night about how beautiful the campus was, her new roommates listened fondly, Levy and Juvia paying apt attention while the other girls, Meredy, Yukino, and Lisanna listened in politely, the three only just returning from retrieving their own books.

The boys didn't come home last night, at least, not that Lucy noticed. They could have come home late, but Lucy didn't bother to check their rooms this morning, not wanting to disturb anyone but also not particularly caring whether or not they were there. If they want to be out until all hours of the night, that isn't Lucy's problem.

"I said _in_ the school," Lucy reminds, lips twitching up into a smile. Nothing is more beautiful than the gardens, at least, nothing Lucy's ever seen.

Levy smirks, brown eyes brightening with amusement. She doesn't respond for several seconds, gaze roaming the shelves. She turns to Lucy with a questioning frown. "Are all of these books about dragons?" she murmurs, a mixture of awe and confusion tinting her words. Her eyes narrow in thought, teeth pulling at her cheek.

Humming to herself, Lucy shakes her head. "Most," she tells Levy, "but not all." They pass a section of romance novels, which Levy eyes with interest. "Headmaster Makarov thinks reading is a gift," she explains to her new friend, repeating what her grandfather's told her many times. "He says there's more than just research out there, more that needs to be experienced."

Beside her, Levy's frown deepens, her eyes narrowing further. "How do you know that?" she asks suddenly, glancing up at Lucy curiously. Behind the confusion there's a hint of mischief—suspicion even, and it makes Lucy's skin crawl.

"What?" she blurts, confused. Lucy stops walking, head tilting to one side curiously. The library is silent save for the soft squeak of Levy's boots against the floor, and Lucy tugs at the bottom of her tank-top self-consciously as the other girl turns, staring her down. Levy's expression isn't unkind by any means, but Lucy suddenly feels very uncomfortable. She swallows thickly, gaze flicking from Levy's for just a moment before returning. "What do you mean?" Lucy repeats after several beats of silence.

Levy simply shrugs, though her pensive expression doesn't disappear. "What he said," she clarifies, smiling up at Lucy, who holds her breath. "How do you know what he said?" Levy asks.

Lucy feels her heart sink into her stomach, her chest going cold with nerves as Levy stares and waits for an answer that Lucy doesn't know how to give. She doesn't want people finding out, not this soon, not until she's sure she can trust them with the information. She likes Levy, she does, but that doesn't mean Lucy trusts her that much. She'd like to though, she really would.

"My cousin went here," Lucy responds softly, deciding on a half-truth. It's not a lie, but he never told her about Makarov's love for books, Lucy doubts he even knows. It was always their little secret, something special for just the two of them. "He graduated a few years back." Her heart clenches at the thought of Laxus, but she tries not to worry about him too much. He can handle himself out there, he's always been strong like that.

But she still worries.

Levy's eyes go wide, brows shooting towards her hairline. For a moment she simply blinks back at Lucy, lips parting, but no words coming out. "Really?" she says, surprise lacing her words. Lucy simply nods in response, biting her lip as she begins to walk once more. Levy follows, keeping pace with Lucy, despite her slightly shorter frame. "What's he doing now?"

She tries to look like she isn't swallowing a lemon, but doesn't think she's doing a very good job. "He joined the corps about two years ago," she replies, softer than before. Her throat starts to close, her eyes stinging as water builds behind her eyes. She doesn't let them fall.

"Wow!" Levy seems impressed by the new information, though Lucy isn't entirely sure why. Most students of the five schools end up joining the Corps. They're always in need of new bodies, after all. "How is he?" Levy asks suddenly. The question is innocent enough, but Lucy feels the breath knocked from her lungs. Levy doesn't appear to notice.

Lucy stumbles—only for a moment, but she stumbles nonetheless. "I, uh," she chokes off, having to swallow down the lump growing in her throat. Her mouth is dry and her tongue feels heavy in her mouth, thick and far too big. "I don't really know," she murmurs, gaining Levy's attention. Lucy pretends not to feel her eyes. "It's been awhile since we've heard from him." She doesn't say anything else, doesn't think she can.

Gasping, Levy turns to her with wide, apologetic eyes. Her lips tremble for a moment, Levy panicking and not knowing what to say. "Oh, Lucy," she whispers, regret thick in her tone, "I didn't mean to—"

"It's fine." Lucy smiles, cutting her off quickly. She doesn't want pity. It makes her stomach twist uncomfortably, it always has. She remembers the look in her aunt's eyes after her mother died, the apologetic but insincere look twist of her lips. She hates it and she doesn't want it now, not from Levy. "Don't worry about it."

Levy stops walking and Lucy sighs as she turns to face the girl, lips pressed into a thin line. Levy is shaking her head, a stubborn look on her face. "No, I shouldn't have—"

Lucy cuts her off again, voice clipped when she speaks and smile too tight. "It's fine, Levy," she repeats, firmer this time. "Really." She locks eyes with the other girl, expression hard. Levy's eyes widen and Lucy sighs, forcing herself to relax. "I don't mind talking about him," she mumbles, ripping her gaze away from the other girl.

The silence between them is stiff and awkward for several seconds too long, and just when Lucy is about to blurt a random fact about the castle grounds, Levy beats her to it. She claps her hands together, smiling a too bright, too stiff smile that's all teeth and no actual joy.

"So, books!" Levy says too loudly, voice carrying through the open room, words echoing off the high ceiling. She flinches at the way it reverberates through the room, eyes going wide. After a moment, she giggles lightly, a hand coming up to cover her mouth as she colors in embarrassment.

Lucy gives a small smile in return.

"Right," she replies, nodding at Levy. Lucy wets her lips, rolling the sudden stiffness from her shoulders and pointing towards the back of the library, nodding at the sign signaling textbooks. "You want to pick up your textbooks now, or?" she trails off, waving her hands between them a bit awkwardly, not sure what to do with them.

She drops them back to her sides, looping her thumbs through her belt loops to keep from making more stupid gestures. She's always had a bad habit of talking with her hands, to the point where she's hit Laxus a few times—accidentally of course.

Levy's smile brightens into one not nearly as forced. "Now would be great," she tells Lucy, shooting a thumbs up before practically skipping over to the section of textbooks.

Lucy laughs lightly and follows a step behind her, in no rush. She already got her books the other day, so she has nothing to worry about at the moment. The rush tomorrow for everyone to get their books is going to be rather amusing. At least, to Lucy it will. "All right," she starts, sliding up next to Levy and pointing to a section on the far left. "First years all have the same classes, so it shouldn't be too hard to get yours."

Not hesitating for a second, Levy grabs for the books on her list, reaching for a thick tome on Dragon Biology first. "Should we get Juvia's too?" she asks, stretching up on her toes to reach another.

Leaning against the bookshelf, Lucy nearly loses her balance. She snorts, attempting to hold back a laugh. Levy blinks at her, head cocking to one side in confusion. "If you want to carry thirty books, sure," Lucy jokes, grinning.

Levy sputters, eyes going wide. "Thirty?" she repeats, glancing down at her growing pile of textbooks. Three so far, each one at least a hands width thick. Levy blanches, paling slightly.

Lucy nods, giggling lightly. "Six classes," she says, shrugging slightly. "At least one book per class, more for Dragonology and History, of course, because they like to make us suffer." She wrinkles her nose, thinking of the twelve books back in her own room, all shoved onto her desk and leaving a pathetic amount of space for anything else.

Her arms are still kind of sore from having to carry all of them.

"It can't be that bad, can it?" Levy asks her, snorting softly and shaking her head. She pulls two more books of the shelf, setting them gently atop her growing pile.

Lucy grins, about to respond when she sees something move in the corner of her vision. She turns, but the shadow is already gone. She shakes her head, figuring it must have been a trick of the light.

"Miss Heartfilia?" Lucy startles, whipping around to see Macao Conbolt, the weapons master, standing a few feet behind her. He sends her a concerned look when she jumps, but Lucy waves off his concern, placing a hand over her rapidly beating heart. "Headmaster Dreyar would like to see you," Macao continues after a moment.

She nods in response, wondering what her grandfather wants with her, but doubting Macao has any better ideas than her. Lucy turns back to Levy, smiling at the other girl as she straightens and shoves her hands into her pockets. "I'll see you later," she promises, taking a step backwards towards the exit. "Have fun!"

Levy frowns, but nods. "Yeah," she murmurs, "you, too."

* * *

Lucy shuts the door behind her, leaving Macao to wait outside. Makarov looks up when she enters, smile tighter than usual, and that immediately sets Lucy on edge. She's never liked that smile on his face, he always wears it when he's nervous or upset, and she's learned to associate it with bad things: her mother, her father, she keeps waiting for it to be about Laxus next.

Her back straightens when he looks at her, and Lucy swallows thickly, gaze snapping from his for only a moment before she goes back to looking him in the eyes. She really hopes he's not going to skirt around things if it is bad news. She's rather he just be blunt; Lucy can handle blunt. Hell, she spent most of her life living with the most blunt person anyone could ever meet.

"Hi, Gramps," she murmurs, stepping further into the room. Her boots click against the tiles as she crosses the room, coming to stand before his desk. She doesn't take the offered seat, hoping she won't be needing it.

She just saw him yesterday, so he shouldn't have another long discussion planned, not for at least another few weeks, she would bet. Makarov loves to talk, yes, but he wouldn't waste her time with nothing. When Makarov wants to talk, it's always something important.

He clears his throat and leans forwards, linking his fingers atop his desk. "Lucy," he greets gently. His thin smile widens, and Lucy feels herself relax, not sensing any urgency in his tone. It's more conversational than anything else, like he just wants to chat, though Lucy can't figure out why.

Lips pressing into a tight line, Lucy leans down, placing her hands on the desk and ducking slightly to be level with him. Her eyes narrow suspiciously, but he just smiles, wide enough that Lucy can just barely see a hint of teeth behind his bushy mustache. "Is there a reason you called me here?" she asks slowly, feeling annoyance bubble at her skin. It's less because of him wanting to talk and more because it's been less than a day and he's, evidently, already concerned.

Laxus did mention he was a bit of a worrier.

Though, Lucy has always known that. He may not look it, but Makarov is one of the most anxious people she knows, especially when it comes to concerning over family members. He keeps a calm mask, not letting any of spill over into the open, but he always asks too many questions, especially ones he already knows the answers to. He was like that when she decided to come to the academy, too, always asking if she was sure that's what she wanted, even though he knew it was.

"How are you?" Makarov asks her, not wasting a beat before getting down to business. His dark eyes are bright, though she can't tell if it's because of his nerves or not. Sometimes it's hard to tell with him, his eyes always light up no matter what he's feeling. There's a slight quiver to his voice, however, and he wrings his hands on the desk, a tick that's she's known for several years.

Lucy laughs, but it isn't nearly as light as it was earlier in the day. "Considering I last saw you about twelve hours ago?" she asks, smile slipping into an easy one. She knows he worries, and though it can be overbearing at times, she really does appreciate it. It's nice to feel loved by someone. "I'm fine, Gramps," she promises, reaching across the desk to cover both of his hands with hers.

He turns over his palms, catching her hand in both of his. His muscles are still tight, but at least he's smiling. She hopes that's a good sign. "Good," he tells her, squeezing her fingers gently. "That's good." His gaze slips away from hers, eyes slipping to the desk. He doesn't say anything else, just holds her hand, and Lucy feels something like dread well in her throat.

"Is something wrong?" she asks softly, a tremor to her voice that she can't find the power to harden. She stutters slightly, tripping over the words, and winces, not wanting to drive herself into a blind panic. It might be nothing, but she doesn't like the way he's acting. It's making her nervous.

She really doesn't want bad news, not right now.

Makarov's eyes widen and he leans back in his chair. His lips part, mouth dropping open just the slightest in surprise. His brows quirk upward, then narrow as he stares at her. "No," he tells her, the lilt of his voice making it sound more like a question than he intended. His voice isn't as firm as it should be and Lucy really doesn't like how jumpy he looks. Makarov looks about ready to crawl out of his own skin, and that has her more worried than anything else.

Lucy sighs, tugging her hand from his to place it back on the edge of the desk. She leans in closer, eyes narrowing. " _Gramps_ ," she hisses, losing patience and wanting him to just tell her what's going on. She doesn't have the time or energy for this strange dance, she's much rather him just tell her what's going on.

He squirms, looking less like the headmaster of an age-old academy and more like a naughty child. He clears his throat suddenly, straightening his back. Makarov swallows, then looks up at Lucy with the most serious expression she's ever seen on him before in her life. "Did you meet all of your roommates?" he asks, suddenly too stiff.

He's avoiding her questions, the old sneak.

Lucy, for her credit, isn't amused in the slightest, but decides to play along, at least momentarily. She'll let him ask his questions. For now. Her patience won't last forever, and she has other things she'd like to get done today while she still has time. Like finishing her book, or attempting to make friends with the people she'll be spending the next two yeas with.

Besides, she doesn't like the sick feeling in her stomach, like maybe something really is wrong and he's just trying to ease her into it. If that's his plan, it certainly isn't working.

Sighing, Lucy shakes her head in response to his question. "Just the girls," she murmurs, wetting her lips. Her gaze slips from his towards the open window, watching the way the light reflects off the stained-glass shape of wisteria blossoms, shades of purple dancing across the floor. "The boys didn't come back until late," she continues, "and they were asleep when I left."

He nods slowly. "And you have your schedule," he muses, fingers beginning to tap along the surface of the desk. He rolls his knuckles suddenly, a loud clank coming from the heavy gold ring upon the middle finger of his left hand, the Dreyar crest standing proud against the metal: a dagger covered in thorns and roses.

Lucy isn't sure if it's a question or not, but decides to answer anyway. "Yeah," she replies, wetting her lips awkwardly. Her patience continues to thin, Makarov nodding slowly and rubbing at his chin, much in the way that all old men do, though Lucy can't begin to understand why.

"And you—"

This time she doesn't let him finish, nerves spilling over. "What's wrong?" she snaps, hands clenching and nails digging into the desk hard enough for her knuckles to pale under the pressure, turning a stark white in response to her panic. Makarov jolts and Lucy winces, lowering her voice when she leans in to speak once more. "Did something happen to Laxus?" she questions gently, attempting to ignore the quiver in her voice.

"No!" Makarov blurts, eyes widening in surprise. He blinks at Lucy rapidly, leaning far back in his chair as he gapes at her. For a long moment he doesn't speak, just stares, and then suddenly his expression softens. "Why would you think that?" he murmurs, reaching out to place his hand over her trembling fingers.

Lucy laughs, but there's no humor to it. "It's what I think every time you want to talk," she admits, sending him a watery smile. Tears prick at the backs of her eyes, which have begun to pinken around the edges. She's always hated how easy it is for people to tell when she's upset. Try as she might, she's never quite been able to school her expression, not in the way that Laxus or her father were able to do.

His fingers squeeze around hers, expression softening, mask slipping away to reveal something _raw_. "Are you that scared?" he asks her.

She stiffens, inhaling sharply at his question. This time she decides not to answer. "Do you need something?" she murmurs, unable to meet his gaze. "Or can I go?" She just wants to be alone right now, at least for a little while. He means well, he always does, but this isn't something Lucy wants to talk about, not now.

He looks like he wants to argue, but after a long moment he nods, squeezing her fingers gently. "Go on," he tells her. His fingers fall away from hers and suddenly he makes a shooing motion. "Enjoy the weekend," he tells her, smiling brightly. There's a mischievous glint in his eyes, and it makes Lucy's chest lighten. "The gardens are looking lovely right now," he muses, winking at her.

Lucy laughs, walking backwards towards the door. She returns his smile, giving a little wave as she grasps at the doorknob with one hand. "They always are," she reminds him. She pulls open the door slowly, surprised to find Macao gone, and starts to slip into the hallway when he calls her back.

"Go see that dragon of yours later, too!" Makarov calls before she can disappear through the door. His eyes narrow, a fond but tired expression on his face as he thinks of the lively dragon. "He's been making a fuss," Makarov tells Lucy, wrinkling his nose.

"He's not _my_ dragon," she tells him, expression brightening at the thought of visiting her favorite dragon.

She goes to shut the door, hearing Makarov grumble behind her, "Well, someone should tell him that."

* * *

The gate creaks lowly as Lucy presses against it, creating an opening just big enough for her to wiggle through. It's harder than it looks. She doesn't want to alert any of the security that she's technically breaking in, but she can't just go through the front. That would raise too many questions. First years don't receive a partner until their second semester, after they've finished their course on Flight Theory. By all accounts, Lucy should have no business near the stables, especially not without an instructor or an older student.

Some of the professors know who she is, but most don't, and Lucy would prefer to keep it that way.

Truthfully, she wouldn't be doing this if she didn't miss her favorite dragon so much. If she gets caught sneaking around the dragons, she doesn't know what will happen. Of course, Makarov would know why she's here, he did tell her to come, after all, but she doesn't want to start trouble or start off on anyone's bad side.

She's heard stories about the professors here, most are good, but Laxus had much to say about a Professor Porla. Apparently, he's the type to latch on to a particular student in every class, singling them out and making their year absolutely miserable. Some years he's more malicious than others, and Lucy really doesn't want to end up on his blacklist. She'd prefer to have a decent time at Eventyr, not spend her days fearful of a man who should know better.

Wriggling through the gate, Lucy casts a quick glance around the courtyard before her gaze locks on the large stable only a dozen yards away. It's as monstrous as she remembers, several stories high and filled with the rumbling of dragons waiting to be let out. It'll be at least another week until all of them are let out to roam during the day. Makarov doesn't like them to be out during the students first few days on campus, for their sake more than the dragons.

Lucy knows how scary it can be to see dragons for the first time, especially large Broadwings or those in Titan class, like Bolly. To avoid accidents, students are first required to interact with a dragon on campus in the presence of an instructor, likely their Dragonology professor, but perhaps even Makarov, if he deems it a special occasion.

Taking a deep breath, Lucy casts one last look around the open area before bolting for the large doors, slipping soundlessly over the grass. She crosses the distance quickly, suddenly glad for her years of running. She's always been quick and light on her feet, which is incredibly helpful in situations like this.

She almost stumbles over a wayward branch, but catches herself quickly, not pausing until she reaches the side door. It's the easiest way to get in without being caught, something she's learned from experience.

During their summers her, Lucy and Laxus used to make a game of trying to get in without being caught. Lucy was always the better of the two, being smaller and faster, quieter when she moved. Laxus could be sneaky, when he wanted to be, but he could never outmatch Lucy when it came to stealth. A fair trade, given Laxus could knock her flat in a spar.

Lucy is good with a sword, fast and agile, but Laxus' brute strength would always win in the end. However, Lucy considers him the exception and not the rule. He is, of course, four years her senior and been training for nearly twice as long as her, Lucy not picking up a rapier until she was twelve, compared to Laxus' start when he was nine.

She's been training more lately, and she thinks she could finally give Laxus a run for his jewel, possibly even beat him, if she can manage to surprise him.

She'll just have to wait until he comes home to find out.

Back against the wall, Lucy flips the latch on the door. It used to be on the inside until the stables housed a Eastern Wyvern no bigger than a house cat. His name was Jonas and he had a particular talent for unlocking doors. There was a particular incident a few years back, when the wyvern managed to unlock the stall of a Fireworm, which led to the destruction of several smaller buildings on campus and the accidental singing of Makarov's mustache.

As expected, he was not pleased.

Shaking her head, she slips through the door, making sure to shut it completely before racing down the halls. A few dragons trill as she passes, but they aren't the one she's looking for. And she really, _really_ misses her favorite dragon. More than anything, she's excited to see him again.

Smiling to herself, Lucy slips around a corner, nearly shrieking in joy when she sees his stall. It's far from the others, separate from them, but that's because he isn't the partner of one of the students. She hates how alone he is back here, but it was the only place available to keep him during the school months. Makarov told her he kept trying to fly back to her home, and couldn't be left to wander the grounds like the other dragons.

Her heart clenches at the thought, melancholy squeezing at her throat, but she shakes it off as she nears the doors, not wanting to be sad when she sees him. Besides, she's here now, he'll be able to fly again soon.

She knocks gently on the iron doors, three quick taps that the dragon inside immediately recognizes. There's a low rumble from inside, and then Lucy sees a big, blue eye peeking over the top of the door, looking at her through the open top half of the gate. A head follows, a crisp, snowy white with long horns, black as night.

He chirps when he sees her, trilling, and Lucy laughs as she steps up to the human door. Flipping the latch carefully, Lucy slips inside without hesitation, immediately greeted by a plume of dark smoke to the face. She coughs, waving her hand to dismiss the cloud, only to come face to face with large, excited Belerion, a smaller cousin of the Bolvkin.

While a Bolvkin is a Titan Class, residing at nearly sixty meters long from snout to the tip of his tail at the largest, a Belerion is roughly half the size, anywhere between twenty and thirty meters as an adult, a decent size for a Broadwing Class, which are used for flight, more so than their larger relatives.

A Bolvkin isn't nearly as stealthy a flier, nor is it fast enough for evasive maneuvers. Titan Class dragons are fun to study and typically more docile, but they're rarely used in the Corps.

"Thuban," Lucy breathes, leaning into the Belerion, who coos and trills as he nudges her with his big head, snout longer than her torso. He bumps her, nearly knocking her off her feet, and Lucy giggles as she throws her arms around the dragon's big head and squeezes. "Hi, Big Guy," she coos, smiling when he lifts her straight off her feet for only a moment. He sets her down gently, nosing at her bag in search of treats. "How've you been doing?" she asks him, settling against the wall and letting the dragon nuzzle at her from where he's curled on the ground, long neck stretched for her to scratch under his chin.

He snorts in reply, hot breath fanning across her face. If dragons could roll their eyes, she's sure he would be doing so.

"I know, I know," she placates, scratching at his jaw scales until he flicks a forked tongue at her, "you want out." She pats his snout, pleased with his response. "I promise, just give it a few more weeks, okay?" she asks.

He coos sadly but Lucy doesn't think it has to do with him being locked in the stables. She sighs, leaning her forehead against his cheek and letting his breath warm her chest. "I miss her, too," Lucy whispers to the dragon.

* * *

Sometime later she finds herself in the gardens, sitting upon a stone bench and tucked beneath the wisteria, bare feet tickled by the long grass and wildflowers sprouting from the ground. She rips her eyes away from an overgrown rosebush, turning back to the poetry book on her lap. Lucy thumbs at the pages, but doesn't turn them, merely frowns and traces a line with her finger before snapping the book shut. Sighing, she shoves the book back into her bag before stretching out her legs and leaning back on her hands, squinting to see through the branches and stare at the sky.

The fountain in front of her bubbles, making quiet sounds as Lucy hums, enjoying the fresh air. It's only midday, the sun high and the air warm, but Lucy can already feel the beginnings of Fall pulling at the earth. It's slight, nothing more than an occasional cold breeze, but it's enough.

And here, by the mountains and coast it's easier to feel the cold. Winter will be hard here, but the garden won't die, protected by magic so that no snow of winter wind can affect the plants or the animals that live here.

Honestly, she should go back to the dorms. She did promise Levy—and Juvia, though she suspects the other girl may have found the library by now—that she would be right back, and that was several hours earlier. Frankly, Lucy just wants to sit outside and enjoy things for a while. There's no telling when the next time she'll be able to sit in the garden and read will be. The semester will get busy, she knows, and between studying and taking care of dragons and having some semblance of a social life Lucy doubts she'll have much free time to do anything but sleep.

It's sad really, the sheer amount of time that everything will take. She's sure it'll be difficult, more so than her old boarding school, that's for sure. She didn't have friends there, so she had plenty of time to herself. Now, she thinks she's finally made friends, or acquaintances at the least, and that's a good thing—an exciting thing, but she's going to miss the quiet, she can feel it in her bones.

Lucy is fiddling with a long strand of wisteria when she hears a branch snap off to her right, followed by a soft curse. Her eyes narrow in confusion for a moment, head tilting to one side as she stares through the trees, squinting to see what's coming.

She doesn't have long to wait.

Jolting in surprise, Lucy gasps when a man comes stumbling out of the trees, a yelp flying from his lips when he nearly tumbles into the fountain. He catches himself at the last second, hands braces against the slick edge, and nearly loses his grip a moment later. He mumbles a curse as he straightens, wiping his wet palms against his thighs and shaking his head.

He doesn't seem to notice her at first, but Lucy recognizes the brightly colored hair immediately. She's sure there's only two people on campus with hair that color, and this certainly isn't Meredy standing in front of her.

No, it's the man that knocked her down the other day, the one that couldn't find the orientation hall.

The man seems to feel her staring, because suddenly he snaps around, wide, green eyes locking with hers. His lips part slightly, a light blush coating his cheeks, likely due to embarrassment. For a long moment he just stares at Lucy, gaze roaming her face as if trying to map her. He smiles then, wide and crooked, head tilting to the side as he watches her.

Lucy quirks a brow, holding his gaze with hers. "You lost, Stranger?" she jokes, giggling as his eyes go wide. She didn't think anyone would be able to find her out here, not even Makarov and Laxus know about this spot, at least, they don't know that it's _her_ spot. She's been coming here ever since she was little, watching the vegetation grow wilder with each passing year. It's a hard spot to find, even Lucy gets lost at times.

It's easy to become turned around in the gardens, their twists and turns reminiscent of a hedge maze.

His gaze rips away from her suddenly and he clears his throat. Peeking back at her, he runs a hand through his hair, rubbing the back of his head in embarrassment. His earrings flash in the sunlight, glinting and drawing Lucy's gaze right to them. "Maybe," he responds after several seconds, wetting his lips before gesturing around him. "It's a big campus," he reminds her, some of the tension leaving his shoulders. He grins again, expression slipping into one of amusement when Lucy giggles.

"They're big dragons," she counters, grinning back at him. Lucy brushes her hair behind her ear, fingertips grazing the cool metal of her earrings, stars dangling from her lobes. He seems to follow the movement with his eyes, or perhaps the glint of metal is what draws his attention, but his gaze slips from hers for just a second before snapping back—she quick she almost misses it entirely.

He chuckles, nodding his head in agreement. "Well, you're not wrong," he tells her, rocking back on his heels as he casts a long look around the gardens before turning back to her. His eyes narrow when he looks at her again, and then recognition sparks in his eyes. "We met the other day," he mumbles, frowning when he tries to place where. Realization hits him a moment later, his eyes blowing wide.

"Yeah," Lucy jokes, gaze sparkling with mirth when he blanches, tanned skin paling almost unnoticeably when it hits him hard. "You kind of ran me over," Lucy teases, giggling when he winces, making a face . She doesn't mean to make him feel bad, even if she had been a bit miffed at first. It wasn't fun to be knocked down, but she knows it was an accident.

His gaze turns apologetic, green eyes shimmering with guilt. "I'm sorry about that," he tells her, clearing his throat awkwardly and turning away for the briefest moment. His teeth pull at his lower lip, canines tugging at the ring in the right corner of his mouth. He releases the metal just as suddenly, gaze snapping back to hers "I just—"

"Didn't want to be late," she finishes for him, cutting him off. She waves away his apology, shaking her head. Lucy doesn't need it, there was no harm done, aside from her smarting tailbone, but she's had worse than that in the past. She's much rather deal with a bruised ass than a broken arm, or worse.

He nods in agreement, laughing lightly. "Exactly," he murmurs back, the smile never once leaving his face. He swallows, shoving his hands deep into his pockets as he alternates between glancing at her and the trees surrounding them.

"It happens," she says simply, shrugging, a small smile on her lips. He continues to look around, much to Lucy's amusement, and she pulls her poetry book back out of her bag, humming to herself as she thumbs through the pages, looking for a spot she likes. It's harder than she thought, looking for a good poem. She's more of a novel reader, never being that interested in the rigid structure of poems.

She's never liked the rhyme scheme of poetry, the wording too stiff and awkward, it never flows off the tongue quite right. No, she'd much rather read a solid book, but she wasn't looking at the titles when she swiped one off her desk this morning, too tired to spend too much time figuring out which one to take.

Now she wishes she spent a little more time choosing.

Lucy finds a poem about star-crossed lovers and wrinkles her nose, huffing and rolling her eyes. She'd much rather drown herself in the fountain than deal with another overtly sappy, woe-is-me love poem.

Glancing up, she notices the man still standing there, awkwardly looking around for something to do. He's biting his lip again, and Lucy giggles at the sight, drawing his attention to her once again. "You gonna stand there?" she jokes, turning to pat the bench beside her. "Or do you want to sit down?"

He looks surprised by the offer, but nods a moment later. Lucy watches as he slowly slides closer, watching her expression carefully as he drops down beside her. When Lucy smiles back the tension seems to disappear from his shoulders. He relaxes beside her, long legs stretching out. He turns to her, grinning. "So, what is this place?" he asks, head snapping up when a butterfly floats by, gaze following the blue and black insect.

"The wisteria gardens," Lucy replies simply, shifting to cross her legs beneath her, resting her book on her thighs as she, too, watches the butterfly disappear into the trees. "They've been here forever," she tells him, shifting slightly to face him more directly.

Lucy vaguely notes that she's being oddly familiar with someone she doesn't even know, but supposes this is the easiest way to talk to people and potentially make friends. Besides, there's only so much they can talk about that'll come up organically. She supposes it would be stranger if they were discussing their favorite colors, something Laxus used to say was fundamental to any and all friendships.

She isn't sure how that makes sense, but she wasn't about to question he older and very drunk cousin. Laxus isn't much fun to argue with while drunk, he just gets pouty and grumbles to himself about anything and everything.

Beside her, the boy laughs, shoulders shaking in amusement as he glances around the little spot that Lucy's made for herself. His eyes flick from the pretty fountain to the overgrown flowers sprouting in every color imaginable, smiling when he sees an old statue half tucked behind a bush. It's a broken thing: a well-muscled man with arms broken off on either side, moss and vines creeping up the sides and curling around the statues throat menacingly.

"It looks like it," he murmurs back, the stretch in conversation making Lucy nearly forget what she said.

Her smile turns sad, but doesn't disappear entirely. "It used to be well manicured," she tells him, still staring at the strangled statue, white marble dirtied and broken in places. "But after the war broke out…" she trails off, shrugging.

"They let it go?" he finishes for her, his own voice tinged with something sad.

Lucy simply nods, mouth suddenly dry. She swallows thickly, wetting her lips, and drops her gaze to the book on her lap. She traces a finger over the leather binding, following the gold calligraphy on the side with an absentminded fingertip.

He turns to her suddenly, humming lowly, thinking. "I don't know," he tells her, musing, brows furrowed into a pensive look. "It looks nice this way." He grins, lips pulling back and revealing sharper than normal canines.

Lucy's eyes widen, more interested in the wickedness of his teeth, more so than what he's said. That hits her a moment later, her own lips twisting into a smile. "You think so?" she asks him, quirking a brow as she casts a long look around the area, pursing her lips in thought.

He nods, pink-dyed hair falling into his eyes. He pushes them back, peering down at her curiously. "Yeah," he breathes back, as if speaking too loud will destroy the peacefulness of their surroundings. And maybe it would. "It looks wild," he murmurs, head tilted back to look up at the tree above them. "Free." He reaches up to tug at a lock of wisteria, fingers brushing against the purple flowers slowly.

Lucy chooses not to respond. Not because she wants the conversation to end, but because she isn't sure what there is to say. He seems to understand this, turning back to her with a toothy grin and shifting on the bench to face her more directly. "So what do you plan to do when all this is done?" he asks her. Lucy frowns and he seems to sense her confusion, clarifying with, "Do you plan to join the Corps? Or do you just want to study them?"

She snorts, sensing a pattern. That seems to be the question everyone's asking. It's not a bad one, per se, but Lucy thinks it's silly to ask so soon. So much can change in just two years. She might end up changing her mind a dozen times over the next few months. "I don't know," she responds after a long moment. "My cousin is in the Corps, but my mother was a Dragonologist." If he hears her voice crack on the word "was" he doesn't comment on it. "What about you?" she asks, clearing her throat.

"Corps," he replies quickly, clearly more sure of himself than Lucy is. "I like the adventure." She laughs, believing it, despite only knowing him for a handful on minutes. There are just some people that are easy to read, and she can tell that he wears his heart on his sleeve. "Plus, I don't think I'd do well studying dragons," he tacks on with an embarrassed chuckle.

Her head tilts to the side, a small frown marring her features. "Don't you like them?" she questions, more curious than anything else. No one comes to this school unless they have a love for dragons, even if it's only a small part of them. They have a way of knowing when people don't like them, and the scaled beasts really don't like it.

"Oh!" he replies, surprise lacing his voice. "I love them! I've just never been good at studying," he admits, chuckling, deep and throaty. Lucy finds herself liking the sound, something about the soft baritone making her want to hear it again.

Lucy nods, unwinding her legs and shifting so that she can stand. She really should be getting back to the dorms. She really doesn't want to worry the girls. He watches her straighten, Lucy tossing her bag over her shoulder before smiling down at him. "Well," she starts, "if you ever need help, you know where to find me."

She's only taken a few steps when he lurches to his feet. Lucy stills, hearing him move, and glances back curiously. He's staring at her, confused, but there's mirth shimmering in his gaze. "I don't even know your name!" he calls after her.

"Lucy," she tells him, walking backwards slowly.

He mouths her name, grinning. "Natsu," he replies, watching her go.

She laughs. "Nice to meet you, Natsu."

* * *

 **AN: Leave a review for a peek at the next chapter ;)**

 **Fun fact! Thuban is actually the name of a star in the Draco constellation!**

 **Also, thank you all so much for 56 reviews (OMG) on chapter one, as well as 100+ follows! You guys are the true MVPs!**

 **EDIT: I think there may be an issue with reviews right now? It seems like lately review count has been dropping dramatically between chapters (on my fics there's been drops of 20+ between one and the next), so if you DO review, be sure to check and make sure it goes through! Apparently a few people are having issues with this 3**


	3. Chapter 3

**AN: Chapters will be alternating POV. Two for Lucy, two for Natsu. Enjoy!**

* * *

 **Igniparous**

 **Chapter Three**

Eventyr is shaping up to be more than Natsu expected, which is something, considering he already expected the world of the school. It's the same one his adoptive father, Igneel, went to back when he was Natsu's age. The man graduated with high honors, joining the Flight Corps on his twentieth birthday with his dragon, a Deluce Dolgum named Ignis—a name Natsu would forever give his father grief for choosing, both because of the similarities to Igneel's own name, but also because of how cliché it is to name a dragon _fire_. Igneel and Ignis rose high in the ranks quickly, gaining the rank of Major General by the time Natsu was ten.

Natsu worries about him, all the time, if he's being honest. Igneel is stationed at Ford Maverick in the north, fighting against the Frost Giants threatening to invade. Truthfully, Natsu is just relieved his father is fighting in the north, rather than the border against Deluce in the east. Jotunn are strong, hard to take down in a fight, but they aren't the dragon tamers of the Deluce Empire. Jotunn have clubs, they're slow and rarely attack in large quantities. They don't have claws and teeth and _fire_ so hot it melts even the strongest steel.

At the Deluce border, people don't come back, not whole. They lose pieces of themselves fighting in the mountains, in the miles and miles of open space known as the Boneyard that separates the warring countries. When people get lost there, they don't come back out. He's heard stories about the Boneyard, about people who lose limbs, people who lose bits of their minds to the explosions and dragon fangs.

He shakes the thoughts away, glancing up at the sky in the gardens, peering at the deep blue through the wispy vines of wisteria, the shades of purple nearly blocking his vision entirely. Natsu snorts, reaching up to thumb at a flower dangling close to his face. He plucks at it, pulling at the vine and smiling when it snaps back up when he releases. It bobs in his face for several seconds, falling still once again, though the vines begin to ruffle in the light breeze sweeping through.

Breathing deeply, Natsu allows his eyes to slip shut, enjoying the wind and the sweet scent swirling around him. He's finding that he likes it here, it's nice—quiet, but in a good way. Natsu always has liked noise, growing up in one of the more populace cities in the western part of Ishgar, a port city in the Fiore territory.

The noises of the city never bothered him, not the traffic or the trains rushing through the center of the city, not the crowds of people, and not the many smaller breeds of dragons living throughout the city. He and Igneel lived beside a jewelers, run by an aging man named Mako who employed a cluster of Jewel dragons, no bigger than the size of his palm, but adept at cutting precious gems and shaping the metals for rings.

Mako had a nice deal going with the tiny dragons, if they helped him with his work, he would give them bits of raw, unworkable gems, letting them hoard them in the back corner of his shop, a large dog bed converted into a handsome pile of jewels and gold pieces.

If he remembers correctly, they were Bijou, fierce, sneaky little things that were renowned thieves, always looking for the next thing to add to their hoards. Greedy little bastards, that's what Igneel called them. They always tried to steal Igneel's old spoon collection, the ancient, glossy silver tempting to the tiny dragons. Mako tried to keep them in line, but there were simply too many of them to watch.

That's when they adopted Happy. Well, Happy adopted them, if he's being honest. The little cat wandered into their lives simply enough, walking straight through their open door when Natsu left it open once. He was taking in groceries when he was twelve, finding it easier to simply leave the door open as he went back and forth between the car and the house, Igneel busy talking to Mako next door.

Neither of them realized the cat snuck in until they had already shut the door, walking into their kitchen to find the tiny cat perched on the counter, snacking on their newly bought fish. Natsu was horrified, thinking Igneel would be mad, but the man only laughed and scooped the kitten off the counter before plopping him onto the floor, going to grab a bowl for water without another word.

Happy fit right into their little family, chasing away the Bijou that snuck in through the vents to steal Igneel's spoons.

That's why Natsu was so glad when he learned the cat was allowed to come with him to Eventyr. Happy is all Natsu really has left of his old home with Igneel, something he hasn't seen since he turned eighteen and was accepted into the school, along with his friends Gray and Gajeel.

The three grew up together, Gajeel his cousin and Gray his friend for as long as Natsu can remember. He's the son of one of Igneel's friends from the Twenty-Fifth Regiment, a fierce woman named Ur, Corps rider and also the single-mother of three. Her eldest, Ultear, was admitted to the academy last year, much to Ur's excitement. Gray and Lyon will be starting this year, much like Natsu and Gajeel.

Oddly enough, all four males were placed into the same dormitory, along with a pair of boys named Sting and Rogue. While strange, Natsu was relieved to find out he already knew a good portion of his roommates, having been dreading the awkwardness of living with eleven strangers for the next two years. Granted, he knows they likely would've become his friends eventually, but he doubts he would feel comfortable for the first several weeks.

Luckily for him, that doesn't seem like it should be much of a problem anymore.

He hasn't met his female roommates yet, having been dragged down the mountain to the city by Gajeel and the others, the boys wanting to celebrate making it to the academy and toast to a good year. While Natsu assumed they would only be doing a few rounds before getting their pets to bring them to Eventyr, he was sorely mistaken, being roped into one too many drinks and returning to the dorms well after midnight.

Natsu didn't awaken until nearly noon, his head pounding and his eyes itchy. Happy was none too pleased about being shut in the room for so long, and had made his frustration known by swatting at Natsu's head until he finally got up to feed the huffy feline.

By the time he got up, the commons room was empty, no one in sight. He figured the girls were already awake, likely off wandering the grounds or getting their books. Or perhaps they decided to visit the city for the day, getting last minute supplies before the semester begins. Gajeel and Gray, he guessed, were still asleep and nursing their own hangovers. They did drink more than him, Natsu not having the taste for alcohol like his friends.

He doesn't dislike it, per se, he just doesn't think the hang-over is worth it. He'd much rather drink half as much than have a hang-over that's twice as awful. Igneel always told him that, having plenty of stories of his own drunk and stupid endeavors. Including one very interesting story of him and his friends stealing a camel from a zoo and leaving a ransom note behind.

The zookeeper in charge ended up complying with their demands, bringing cheeseburgers in exchange for the camel named Frank.

Natsu found the entire situation to be hilarious, laughing for hours at his father's expense. Igneel was embarrassed about the entire situation, grumbling under his breath and pouting as a fifteen year old Natsu mocked him for stealing a _camel_ of all things.

Since then, Natsu hasn't been one for touching alcohol on a regular basis. He's young and already does dumb things on his own, he doesn't need to be drunk and stupid, as well.

After he crawled out of bed, Natsu took to exploring the area, having nothing better to do than find everything on campus, scoping out different locations of interest, namely the dinning hall and the dragon stables. He wouldn't be allowed inside, yet, but that doesn't mean he can't watch for dragons.

He didn't mean to find the garden, honestly. Natsu was just walking around aimlessly, not really paying attention to where he was going. The trees were what drew him in, Wisteria in an entire spectrum: from lavender to violet, white blossoms peppered among them. Something about the place just beckoned for him, like it was somewhere he needed to be.

What surprised him was the girl—Lucy. Natsu didn't expect anyone else to be out here, and he especially didn't think he'd just stumble upon someone quite literally. She looked just as surprised to see him, and honestly, Natsu couldn't blame her. He'd be pretty shocked to see someone come tumbling out of the bushes and nearly take a dip in the fountain like that.

If he's being even more honest with himself, he sort of hopes he sees her again. She seemed nice enough, maybe a bit odd, but nice. Clearly he interrupted her, but she didn't seem to mind, at least, not that she showed. Natsu was expecting more yelling, perhaps even bodily harm, if he accidentally scared her enough.

He wouldn't put it passed anyone on this campus. Those that work with dragons aren't the kind of people someone would want to mess with. Most of the students here have been training for combat most of their lives, or know the basics at the very least. They have to, if the want to pass their classes.

Shaking his head slowly, Natsu stands, turning to abandon the garden and head back the way he came. He probably won't see Lucy again soon anyway, maybe in classes every so often, but he can't be sure their classes will line up. With a student body of roughly five-hundred, Eventyr has, from what he's seen, a rather complicated scheduling system. Professors teach the same classes two to three times per day, everyday. At least, for required courses they do. It seems like a mess to Natsu, but he won't question it.

Natsu slips through the trees, pulling his phone out of his pocket to check the time, cursing when he realizes he's almost late for a _very late_ lunch with Gajeel and Gray, the pair having texted him about an hour earlier, telling him to meet them at two or they would eat all of his food.

Snorting to himself, Natsu feels a grin work its way across his lips, mirth in his eyes. He's going to like it here, he can feel it in his bones. Something about the place screams magic—maybe not the loud, bright, bells and whistles type, but magic nonetheless. Maybe it's the castle setting, the type of archaic feeling that's been preserved, or maybe it's something else entirely. Maybe there's just some leftover magic in the world.

Spellwork is still used, of course, though only in small quantities. Magic has been lost to most, only nurtured in those with some form of innate ability to use it. There's little things, of course, jewelers that can place charms on their products: luck charms mostly, protection spells, less common are love charms, which are taboo.

Mostly, they teach dragon tamers to control the elements, at least one, as well as a healing spell and being able to push mana into a type of shield. A well taught spellcaster is worth five ordinary riders, though they're hard to come by.

Igneel, for example, comes from a long line of fire casters, the ability passed down with each generation, though growing weaker and less prevalent.

It's sad, in a way, how quickly they're losing their grip on magic, how it's simply slipping through their fingers and they aren't even fighting for it any longer. Magic is being forgotten, simple as that. People no longer know how to use it, to summon the mana buried deep inside all of them. It used to be something fantastical, utterly breathtaking, now all magic is used for is mundane charms and war.

Natsu finds himself back in the school quickly enough, the gardens not far off from the main building. For a moment, he wonders which came first, the overgrown plot or the castle nearby. Logically, he knows the castle likely came first, but there was something timeless about the trees, as if they'd been standing there for years and years, before anyone came to Ishgar at all. They were giants, trunks gnarled, warped with age. He's seen old trees before, but never like that. They were large for wisteria, some of the biggest he's ever seen.

Not, of course, that Natsu spends a lot of time staring at plants. He's always had something of a black thumb. Igneel once left him to care for his window box of snapdragons, only to return to find a twelve year old Natsu crying and frantically watering several beyond-wilted flowers. He was never allowed to care for a plant again.

Glancing down at his phone, Natsu sees he's running late and curses, wrinkling his nose. While Natsu himself doesn't mind being late to a hastily planned lunch with people he sees almost everyday, he knows for a fact that Gray and Gajeel will give him grief for it. Gajeel because he's a stickler for people being on time, and Gray because he's an ass that will use every opportunity to get under Natsu's skin. Being late isn't an option, not if he wants to keep what little pride he has left.

They've both seen his baby pictures—including the one where all he's wearing is his socks—being on time is the only thing he has left.

Unfortunately, time is never on his side.

He bolts up the stairs, tripping over himself and nearly running into a pair of girls he doesn't know, both gasping as he ducks around them. He seems to be running into women a lot lately. He wonders if that's some kind of sign from the Gods, or if he just needs to pay more attention to where he's going. Probably the latter.

Natsu slips into the dining hall quietly, glancing around the room with wide eyes. They only passed by the room on the tours yesterday, not bothering to go inside, and Natsu woke up too late to even consider breakfast, choosing instead to grab one of the apples left out in the commons room.

He isn't sure who left them out, but he'll have to thank them later. No doubt it was one of the girls. There's no way any of his male roommates would have been so considerate. Well, maybe Rogue and Lyon, but he knows they were just as shitfaced as the rest of them last night.

He probably shouldn't have taken the apple anyway; that's how people get poisoned in movies.

The dining hall is _impressive_ , to say the least: high, arched ceilings; a stained glass window at the head of the room, pattered to look like the moon and stars, casting a blue glow over the nearest tables; white marble floors so clear he can almost see himself in the reflection. The room is mostly empty, though Natsu attributes that to them missing the lunch rush that was sure to have occurred only a few hours earlier.

He knows from his high school days just how crazy getting lunch can be. He's seen more than one fight break out over who got the last breadstick during lunch on spaghetti day. It was brutal. One time Gajeel was sent home with a concussion because of the lunch rush. Public schools are _wild_.

Gajeel and Gray spot him first, waving him over from a table in the back corner. While they aren't glaring at him, Natsu knows he's in for a world of trouble, judging by the narrowness of Gajeel's eyes and the shit-eating grin pulling at Gray's mouth. Natsu simply sighs, steeling himself for the inevitable teasing and wondering how long it'll take before one of them punches the other.

It occurs more often than it should, but there's no hard feeling between any of them, mostly because they're all to blame for the arguments that occur. They antagonize each other, and any third party typically eggs them on. They never hurt each other too badly though, a couple of bruises, but never any blood.

Gajeel doesn't wait for him to sit down before sending him a stern look, gaze reprimanding. "Yer late," he informs Natsu, chewing on his spoon and glaring. Despite his earlier threat, Natsu's food sits untouched, though Natsu thinks his sandwich looks a tad suspicious, almost like it's been picked at.

He rolls his eyes, sending his food a weary look before glancing back up at his friends. "I'm like two minutes late," he defends, scoffing at Gajeel. Natsu pops a grape into his mouth, glancing at the clock to see that he is indeed only two minutes late, which isn't too bad, considering how late he's been in the past.

Natsu could have skipped lunch entirely, but he didn't. They should be glad he came at all.

"Still late," Gajeel grumbles, snorting loudly. He stabs at a piece of chicken violently, still staring at Natsu as he lifts the piece into his mouth. It's almost threatening but Natsu knows Gajeel's more talk than anything. He likes to scare people, but wouldn't hurt a fly in most instances.

Shaking his head, Natsu sighs and plays with his silverware, thumbing at his spoon. "What's with you and being punctual?" he asks, curiosity eating at him. Gajeel's been like that for years, always worrying about the time, but Natsu could never figure out why. It's almost as if Gajeel's afraid they'll all turn into vegetables if they're so much as a second late to something. It's kind of ridiculous.

Gray sends him a sly grin that's more malicious than amused, though only teasingly so. "I didn't know you knew what punctual meant, Natsu," he jokes, blue eyes flickering with humor. "You know," he continues, shrugging and pretending to be interested in the peach on his plate. "Considering you're always late." He presses his lips together to hold back a snicker at Natsu's expression.

Gajeel jumps in on the teasing without missing a beat, baring his teeth in a smile at his cousin. "Yer profs are gonna love ya," he jokes, laugh gruff. He reaches across the table to slap Natsu on the shoulder roughly, but Natsu ducks out of the way, glaring at his cousin, who merely gives a wide, sarcastic grin in response.

"Fuck you guys," Natsu snaps back, not angry but certainly annoyed. Usually, the teasing wouldn't bother him, but he's still a bit hung-over and just wants to take a nap. He should have just skipped lunch and let them bitch at him for it later. "I was two minutes late to lunch," he repeats, trying not to pout as he grabs his sandwich.

He takes a large bite, heedless of the positively wicked smile on Gray's mouth. A moment later, Natsu cringes, the taste of tomato flooding his mouth and nearly making him gag. He shoots his friends a glare, swallowing the bite down rather unhappily. They _know_ he hates tomato on his sandwiches.

Not wanting to let them win, Natsu stares Gray right in the eyes as he takes a large bite, chewing slowly for emphasis.

Gray pouts and Gajeel hides a small smile, nothing more than a quirk of the lips.

They eat in silence for several minutes: Natsu trying not to gag on the tomatoes, Gajeel trying to make his spoon stick to his nose in boredom, and Gray busy sulking over not succeeding in picking a fight with Natsu over the tomatoes. Honestly, if it were any other day, he probably would have tackled Gay by now, but he's exhausted and just wants to eat his food in peace. He can handle a few tomatoes today, even if he hates the way they squish beneath his teeth, the juice squirting over his tongue and tickling the back of his throat.

He doesn't throw up though, so Natsu considers it a win.

Finally, Gajeel's boredom seems to win, because he turns back to Natsu, a brow quirked curiously, metal piercings pulling at his skin and flashing in the light. "Why were ya late, anyway?" he grumbles, suspicion clear on his face, as if he's been getting into trouble during the two hours they've been apart.

Gajeel would never admit it, but he's a bit of a worrier. He likes to mother people, in his own gruff way.

Natsu isn't sure he wants to mention that he was distracted while talking to a girl and probably would have sat there for another hour had she not left. Admitting that would only come back to bite him in the ass. Gajeel and Gray would just love to tease him about losing track of time because he was talking to a stranger—a girl, nonetheless. They would be merciless with that bit of information. Igneel would probably find out about it too.

"Got lost," he settles with, hoping he doesn't look like he's lying. Natsu never has been particularly good at lying. The tips of his ears always start to burn when he does.

They look skeptical.

"Ya got lost?" Gajeel repeats, eyes narrowing in disbelief. Gajeel can smell a liar. He's like a bloodhound, only worse. He can pick up on even the smallest of lies. Natsu could tell him that he was wearing green underwear when he was really wearing blue and Gajeel would somehow be able to tell. Just like that. It's unnerving, to say the very least.

Gray looks equally unconvinced. "Where did you get lost?" he questions, leaning closer to Natsu until he's right in his face, blue eyes suspicious and amused. He pops a grape in his mouth, snagging it off of Natsu's plate, much to his annoyance.

The boys edge closer, Gajeel leaning across the table and Gray incessantly poking at his shoulder to make him talk, each jab more forceful than the last. It comes in a steady rhythm, Gray barely missing a beat between pokes.

Natsu snarls at him, taking a swipe before finally giving in. He rolls his eyes, glaring, but decides it's better for his health to just tell them. They're assholes, but not worth picking a fight over when he could be doing something better, like finishing his grapes, or taking a long nap in his room while avoiding his responsibilities. "The gardens," he mumbles, sighing to himself.

They would have gotten it out of him eventually.

He pops a grape in his mouth, slapping Gray's hand when he tries to take one, much to his friend's annoyance.

Gajeel's eyes narrow. He squints at Natsu, giving him a long look. "Why were ya in the garden?" he asks slowly, knowing that Natsu has about as much interest in plants as he does in learning how to tap-dance. Which is, to say, _not much_. Gajeel leans further across the table, planting a firm elbow against the wood and glaring down at Natsu. There's no anger on his face, but his expression is highly curious, something Natsu knows means he's headed into a very dangerous situation.

He won't be leaving with his pride in tact, that's for sure.

Not that Natsu has all too much pride left anyway. He's known Gray and Gajeel his entire life and there's practically nothing about him that they don't know about, from his need to light things on fire to the weird, heart-shaped freckle on his right shoulder blade. He's never been able to hide a damn thing from them, despite how hard he's tried.

"What's with all the questions?" Natsu snaps back at them, not helping his case by acting so defensive. He tosses a grape at Gray, hitting him just below the eye and making him back off, at least momentarily. Glaring at the two of them, Natsu crosses his arms over his chest, huffing. "I was waiting for your lazy asses to get up," he says, expression sparking with amusement when Gajeel narrows his eyes.

Gajeel hums lowly in thought, watching Natsu's expression carefully, looking for a tell or the slightest hint of nervousness. Gajeel can sense fear, and he wastes no time exploiting anyone over the age of fourteen, picking them apart until they're nothing but a mess. "See anything…." he trails off slowly, looking for the right word. "Neat?" he decides upon, raising a brow at Natsu.

Natsu, for his part, manages to beat down an embarrassed blush, unsure why he's trying to hide it anyway. It was just a random girl that he might never see again. Maybe because the setting was arguably romantic? They were alone and surrounded by blossoming trees, talking about flying and their hopes for the future, and he didn't even know her name until the end and—

Yeah, they'd give him grief for that. Luckily, Natsu should be able to redirect the conversation before they say anything too embarrassing. He knows Gray and Gajeel just as well as they know him, and Natsu knows they can't resist a good debate.

Gray, however, doesn't seem to miss the flush on the tips of Natsu's ears. "Ooh," he coos, reaching out to slap Natsu on the back, grin teasing and eyes too bright. He snaps around to share a look with Gajeel, dark hair falling into his eyes. "Gajeel, I think he did!"

Natsu wants to die.

Humming to himself, Gajeel's fingers begin to drum against the tabletop, beat slow and steady as he stares Natsu down. He shoves back a wayward strand of black hair, sweeping it back over his head. One of his fingers absentmindedly begins to tab against the ring in his bottom lip. "Whad'ya see, Cousin?" he drawls, russet gaze piercing.

Sighing in defeat, Natsu decides to tell them. If they keep pestering him like this his headache will only come back, and that's the last thing he wants right now. They'll get it out of him either way, might as well save himself some pain. "There was a girl," he mumbles after a long moment, shrugging half-heartedly. It's not like anything happened, so it really doesn't matter.

"A girl?" Gajeel repeats, confused. He looks shocked, as if he was expecting something more than that, something dangerous or illegal, not something as simple as conversing with another human being. What did they think he was doing? Fighting a dragon?

Natsu's pretty sure that's actually on the curriculum, but not until second semester. Fighting a dragon in the garden seems like good practice, if he's being honest. Dangerous and stupid, but good practice.

Beside him, Gray snorts, snickering under his breath. "Didn't think he had it in him," he murmurs, grinning when Natsu snarls at him, tossing another grape. Gray catches it in his mouth, a self-satisfied smile creeping across his face when Natsu huffs and sinks lower into his seat at the table. Gray reaches out to pat him on the back, albeit rougher than necessary.

Gajeel waves him off, ignoring Gray completely as he leans further across the table, planting a firm elbow against the wood, other hand still drumming away, rhythm speeding up with each pass. "Was she pretty?" Gajeel asks, stealing a baby carrot from his plate. He has no decency when it comes to eating, but then neither does Natsu.

They can blame their dads for that, evidently.

Natsu goes to respond, no sure what he's supposed to say—aren't most girls pretty?—but Gray beats him to it, cackling as he says, "Had to be if she distracted _Natsu,_ of all people." Natsu glares in response, knowing an insult when he hears one. Just because he's a bit oblivious when it comes to people making passes at him, doesn't mean he deserves to be _ridiculed_ for it. He tries _dammit_.

"You're right," Gajeel agrees, looking, for all intents and purposes, utterly serious, save for the slight quirk to the left corner of his lips, the telltale sign of a smile, in Gajeel's own way. "He _is_ ignorant to a pretty face."

Natsu considers throwing a grape at his face, too, but ultimately decides it would be a waste of good fruit. The grapes are too good for Gajeel.

Gray nods in agreement, gaze wicked as he turns away from Natsu, sharing a look with Gajeel that makes him more than a little nervous. "Remember that one time in biology when—"

"So!" Natsu blurts, slapping an open palm onto the table and drawing the gazes of several stragglers in the room, each looking away a moment later, not finding them interesting enough to watch. Natsu decides it's time for that distraction, debates always rile them up, the boys never sharing an opinion. He'd rather have them fighting than teaming up against him, if he's being completely honest. The pair of them working together usually means Natsu is going to have a bad day. "Riding dragons bareback: pros and cons?" he says, glancing between them rapidly.

They both blink in response, confused.

Gajeel is the first to snap out of it, eyes narrowing in thought as he mulls over the question, but only for a moment. "Pro," he tells Natsu, expression firm as he crosses his arms over his chest and leans back on the bench, daring them to argue. "More of a thrill." He shrugs, but then a grin pulls at his lips, so wide it reveals his sharp canines.

Natsu can practically see the thoughts whirling through Gajeel's mind, and none of them are good or safe. Actually, they would likely get him killed, though he supposes that would be Gajeel's problem, not his. Who would Natsu be to stop his cousin from following his dreams?

Gray, however, levels Gajeel with a narrow look, something like disgust creeping into his eyes. "Con," he challenged Gajeel, ignoring Natsu entirely as he turns towards their other friend. "If you slip," Gray reminds Gajeel pointedly, "you're _dead_."

The word hangs in the air between them, heavy and tinged with something dark.

"Pro," Gajeel repeats himself, pursing his lips as he thinks of another plus to riding a dragon bareback. Personally, Natsu is caught between both sides. It sounds fun, but he doesn't exactly feel like falling a thousand feet to the ground. That sounds like the opposite of a good time. Gajeel clears his throat suddenly, demanding attention. "Less time wasted on saddling your dragon," he reasons, twirling a spoon between his fingers.

Gray scoffs, rolling his eyes at Gajeel. "Con," he says, wrinkling his nose in annoyance. "Dragon scales don't feel good on your dick," is what he counters with, the statement laying thick in the air between the three of them.

It takes a moment for the words to settle in, Natsu only half paying attention and Gajeel just not caring enough to listen, but when it hits them, it hits _hard_.

Natsu chokes on his sandwich, wheezing as Gajeel sends their friend a disgusted look. "The dragon is naked," he hisses at Gray, ignoring Natsu's struggle to breathe, "not _you_ , Dumbass." Gajeel looks like he wants to hit Gray, and as hilarious as Natsu thinks that would be, now really isn't the time.

They don't need to be kicked out of the school before the year even begins.

Natsu finally manages to dislodge the chunk of bread suffocating him, swallowing it down before groping for his water glass, draining half of it before slamming it back on the table, sending Gray the most disturbed look he can manage. "What the fuck, Gray?" he hisses, blanching when he gets a mental picture he really didn't need. Honestly, Natsu might actually need bleach.

"You wanted pros and cons!" he defends himself, throwing his hands up and huffing in irritation. He looks between them, sending them each a nasty look and grumbling something they don't catch under his breath. He turns away after a moment, sulking as Natsu and Gajeel send him funny looks.

Opening his mouth to respond, Natsu simply shakes his head, closing it once more. He's not sure what to say to make this situation less awkward. Frankly, he doesn't think anything could make things less awkward, and that's saying something. "You're not allowed to talk anymore," he finally tells gray, shaking his head slowly.

Gray pouts, glaring at them as he crosses his arms, sniffing in anger. His ego is bruised, but he'll get over it. Eventually. "Assholes," he mumbles.

Natsu tunes them out as he continues to eat, finding his lunch relatively peaceful despite his friends arguing beside him, their arms waving around haphazardly as the two continue to argue about Gray's nudity issue. On any other day, Natsu would probably join in, but he's slightly hung-over, hungry, and perfectly content to watch Gray and Gajeel do the bickering for him.

Typically, he would be right in there picking a fight with Gray, but he just doesn't have it in him at the moment. Besides, they can argue later. Gods know they can't go more than a few hours without one of them trying to strange the other. One of these days someone's going to get really hurt, and they're all going to feel like shit, but then they'll probably just do it all again the next week.

"Keep your pants on, Gray," he vaguely hears Gajeel snap, Natsu tuning out before he can hear the tell-tale sound of Gray unbuckling his belt, a bad habit whenever he gets nervous or angry. Natsu doesn't get it, but if Gray needs to take off his clothes to keep from committing a felony, Natsu doesn't much care what he does.

They're still arguing when Natsu leaves to return his tray to be cleaned, the pair bickering behind him even as they too return their things, though Natsu thinks he sees Gajeel slip a butter knife into his sweatshirt pocket. At least Natsu will know who to blame if someone ends up mysteriously stabbed to death. Always a good thing to know.

Sometimes he wonders if Gajeel collects knives. He's wondered about it in the past, suspecting that his cousin sleeps with one under his pillow, but Natsu doesn't dare ask. It's best if he just leaves Gajeel to his own devices. It's safer for all of them if Natsu doesn't know anything.

He trails behind the bickering duo, shoving his hands deep into his pockets and glancing up at the ceiling, tracing the high beams with his eyes, watching the wood and stone merge together. Natsu doesn't have much of an eye for architecture, not like Igneel does, but even he can tell this place was beautifully crafted. Even more than that, the castle is sturdy. He forgets how long Eventyr has been around, but he knows it's been at least three hundred years, likely more than that.

Igneel told him that some of the first riders of the Flight Corps went to this same academy, though there are seven flight schools around the Ishgar peninsula. At least one per region, though there are two closer to the capital, one focusing more on combat while the other is based more around the sciences, as there are simply too many students so close to the heart of Ishgar.

Gray and Gajeel's voices slip away, Natsu's eyes roaming the walls as they head up a winding set of stairs, his eyes on the pictures lining the walls, some painting, others old photos of students and dragons, both on campus and in mid-flight.

He realizes he's falling behind, several steps behind his friends, and Natsu speeds up, taking the steps two at a time in order to catch up to them. Neither male seems to notice his fight to catch up, too busy discussing Gray's stripping problem, or perhaps they've moved on to Gajeel kink shaming him for wanting to put his dick on a dragon, much to Gray's vehement protests, his voice rattling down the stairway.

Natsu smothers a laugh, not wanting to give the others a reason to team up against him. He's perfectly fine just watching them fight about something so pointless. There's something carefree about it, something Natsu is terrified will disappear once the year begins. He doesn't want to lose that piece of himself, forced to wear the same grim mask he's always seen on Igneel's face when the man thinks he isn't looking.

"Ya hear from Igneel lately?" Natsu's head snaps up at the question, Gajeel glancing over his shoulder and looking at him expectantly, a brow quirked at Natsu's surprised expression, the boy nearly tripping on a step and falling down the flight. Natsu blinks back at his cousin, Gajeel sending him an annoyed look when Natsu doesn't respond fast enough.

He gives a nod, wetting his lips as he drops his gaze to his feet, gaze focused on each step he takes. "About a week ago," he admits softly, swallowing down the growing lump in his throat. It's been over six months since he's seen Igneel. As soon as he turned eighteen the man returned to active duty, heading back to the north with little more than a smile and goodbye. "He called to wish me luck." Natsu glances between his friends, similar expressions on their own faces. "You?"

Gajeel just shrugs, smiling slightly, though he tries to hide behind an indifferent mask. "You know how Dad is," Gajeel tells him, wrinkling his nose before shaking his head with a fond sigh.

Gajeel's father has always been a bit of a character. He's the gruffest looking man Natsu has ever seen, more tattoos than skin, more piercings than him and Gajeel combined, and a nearly seven foot wall of pure muscle and swear words.

"He cried, didn't he?" Natsu asks, chuckling under his breath. Mikhail Redfox is a character, more emotional than anyone would expect upon seeing him for the first time. It's rather funny to watch the man blubber, not because any of them enjoy seeing him cry, but because it's so unexpected when he does, Mikhail's action more over the top than necessary.

"Yeah," Gajeel tells him, sighing softly, barely loud enough for Natsu to hear. His cousin casts a quick glance at Gray, a wicked smile pulling at his mouth, lips curving back to reveal sharp teeth. Natsu's eyes widen, knowing what's about to happen even before Gajeel says a word. "Just like Gray when he watches _Titanic_ ," he jokes, elbowing Gray roughly in the side, making him yelp.

Gray sputters, but only for a moment before he turns to Gajeel with a nasty glare. "I didn't cry!" he protests, hissing at the two of them. He turns away, grumbling insults under his breath, but Natsu and Gajeel simply ignore him.

Usually they wouldn't mock Gray for crying over something. It's a natural reaction and there's no reason he shouldn't be allowed to be upset over things. The issue with Titanic is simply that Gray has seen the film at least three dozen times, and he was crying before any of the characters actually died. Gray was more upset by the giant chunk of ice being hit than the scenes he was supposed to be sad at, humorously enough.

"Let me guess," Natsu jokes, clapping a hand on Gray's back as they reach the second floor landing, having to go one more flight before reaching their rooms. "You had something in your eyes." He snickers, only laughing harder when Gray gives him a dirty look.

"Yes!" Gray snaps, throwing his hands up in anger. "Actually, I did!" He stomps up the stairs, walking faster to get away from the two of them. "You threw popcorn at me and the butter got in my eye!" he accuses, tossing a look at Natsu over his shoulder before huffing and turning away.

Gajeel snorts, and Natsu could swear he sees Gajeel's hand twitch for his pocket—reaching for a butter knife, perhaps? "You keep tellin' yerself that," he grumbles, shoving both hands into the pockets of his sweatshirt and rolling his shoulders, neck cracking as he moves it side to side. He looks like he needs a nap, despite only being awake for less than three hours.

"We both know you have a thing about giant chunks of ice killing people," Natsu adds, only half joking.

Gray appears to give up, his eyes rolling as they reach the right floor. They move to walk side-by-side, not taking up much room in the rather wide hallway. The three of them are able to walk shoulder-to-shoulder without taking up half of the hall.

"I hate you guys," Gray murmurs, sulking slightly.

They continue in silence for a moment, slowing as they reach their door. Gajeel grabs for his keys, digging in his pockets to find them, and Natsu turns back to Gray, teasing expression gone from his face. "So did Ur do anything for you and Lyon?"

He nods, giving a faint grin. "She bought us ice cream cones and told us to kick our professors' asses," he says to Natsu, chuckling at the poor advice. It's just like Ur to suggest something like that.

"Yeah," Natsu tells him, "I don't think you should do that."

Gajeel grunts his agreement, still fiddling with his keys. "Not a good plan," he tells the two of them.

"Definitely not."

Gajeel finally shoves open the door, the three of them filing through, only for Natsu to come to a sudden halt as soon as he looks around. He freezes, gaze locked on the couch, and Gray nearly slams into his back, mumbling a curse and then his name when Natsu doesn't move.

There, nestled on the couch, wrapped in a large, fuzzy blanket with a very familiar cat perched on her lap, is Lucy, of all people. Her eyes lock with his, brown eyes as surprised as Natsu feels. From her lap, Happy meows in greeting, but barely lifts his head before curling into a tight ball on her lap, his purr audible from across the room.

His tongue feels thick in his mouth, but he manages to say something when the silence starts to feel tense. "Well," he murmurs, sending her a crooked grin. "I guess I know where to find you after all."

Her lips twist up in a pretty smile. "Apparently."

* * *

 **AN: I kind of feel like crap today my dudes :( My wisdom teeth are coming in and my mouth is starting to hurt (I'll probably need them removed), I've been getting some... disheartening reviews on Berserk, tumblr is (as always) a shit show, and overall I'm just tired and kind of sad lol. Regardless! I hope you all enjoy the chapter!**

 **There will be thirty chapters for this "arc", and while the plot I have in mind stretches over five arcs, idk if I'm going to do all of it, or cap it at sixty. Berserk is going to be one of those 100+ chapter fics and idk if people would actually want to stick around that long, of if it seems kind of pathetic to make a triple digit story when the chapters are already long. Granted, each arc is like a hypothetical book, if that makes sense? Like, if I were to one day rework and publish this, it would likely be a 5+ book series.**

 **Anyway! Next chapter we get into actual classroom things! So be ready for that!**

 **Also, I noticed reviews went down quite a bit and was just wondering if there's still an issue going on with emails not being sent? If not, feel free to leave a review when you finish! I love hearing what people have to say and what they enjoyed! I try to respond to every review, so questions will be answered!**


	4. Chapter 4

**AN: Be sure to drop a review when you're done! Enjoy!**

* * *

 **Igniparous**

 **Chapter Four**

His fingers drum against the wood of the desk, tapping in a fast, steady rhythm as he waits impatiently for class to begin. Honestly, he really doesn't want to be here at the moment, it's too early for them to be having a class. Whoever decided eight A.M. was a suitable time for them to start the day must absolutely hate them. Granted, he knows that the he'd be complaining whether or not class started at eight. It's Biology, the worst of all the classes.

Natsu didn't like taking biology and anatomy courses back in high school, preferring science classes where he could make things explode over having to memorize every bone in his body. Not only was his teacher horrible, but it wasn't like the information was actually relevant to, well, anything really. Sure, he now knows the scientific name for all of the bones in his hand, but where is that going to take him in life?

The fun "dragon" part of the course is sort of cancelled out by the "biology" portion, and Natsu just knows it's going to be a wonderful year. His first class on Monday every week is something he hates. Brilliant. At least he has this class with people he knows, which is a blessing in his opinion.

Gajeel and Gray are just as terrible at biology as he is, so if Natsu fails, they go down with him. It's his only solace at this point. They'll pass or fail together, and Natsu won't feel quite as shitty at the end of the semester. Luckily, biology isn't a requirement for him to join the Corps. Whether he passes or not, Natsu will still end up flying eventually.

He leans back in his chair, rocking until he's leaning on only the back legs, close to tipping, but not quite. Natsu has excellent balance for the most part. While he isn't quite as graceful as Gray, he's also not as bumbling as Gajeel, falling somewhere between the two. While his cousin isn't clumsy, exactly, he's never had quite the same reflexes as the rest of them, though he definitely packs a harder punch, much to his annoyance.

Natsu digresses, knowing that raw strength isn't anything if someone is fast enough to dodge the hit.

His fingers continue tapping, Natsu settling his chair back onto the floor, leg beginning to jiggle as well. He doesn't like waiting, not even a little. He's never had the patience for it, a fault of his, sure, but he's always been more action oriented—always wanting to do _something_ instead of just sitting around and waiting. Or maybe he just doesn't like sitting around and waiting for something he knows he's going to hate anyway, not seeing the point to it.

Frankly, he could still be sleeping, which would be much more enjoyable and also better for his health. Don't they know that developing minds are supposed to get roughly nine hours of sleep every night? How is he supposed to get nine hours when he has class at eight and stays up until one watching shitty documentaries with his new roommates?

Glancing to his right, Natsu takes in the sight of Lucy sitting next to him at their shared table, Gajeel and Gray having ditched him and taken the table behind him. Not that he doesn't like sitting by Lucy, she's nice, funny. He's been getting along well with her since they found out they shared a dorm.

Natsu was more than a little surprised to walk in and find Lucy curled up on the couch with his cat purring in her lap, but he supposes there are worse roommates he could have. They had gotten to talking pretty quickly, Natsu going to join her on the couch as Gray and Gajeel stared after him, utterly baffled by the turn of events. They had joined them after several minutes, introducing themselves to Lucy and wisely keeping their mouths shut about Natsu calling her pretty, being decent enough friends not pull hat kind of crap.

Mostly they discussed school, where they all came from. Lucy found it interesting that they had known each other forever, admitting that she didn't really know anyone on campus yet, besides their other roommates, of course.. She told them about Levy and Juvia—who Natsu would later come to realize were the girls he nearly ran into on his way into the lunch hall, much to his embarrassment—and the other three, though she could say much about them. In turn, they told her about Lyon and the other boys they met the other day. Gajeel even went so far as to tell her about their relatively wild night down in the city, much to her amusement.

Natsu was a bit surprised how easily they all fell into a familiar sort of friendship, despite only knowing each other for less than two days. They all spent most of Sunday together, talking and watching movies, simply trying to get to know each other beyond a passing recognition. Personally, Natsu decided he'd rather not spend two years barely knowing the people he was living with, choosing to just go for it and introduce himself to everyone.

They're all friendly enough people. Juvia, Rogue, and Yukino are a bit quiet, but nice enough, Meredy mostly kept to herself, but seemed like a bit of a jokester when she became less weary of them, Sting is as loud as he is, much Natsu's immense joy, and Lucy, well, he isn't sure he can pin her down quite yet. There's no doubt that she's a nice person, but there's something sad about her, nervous almost, as if she's uncomfortable being around too many people.

Levy he doesn't know too much about, she seems rather no-nonsense and a bit too intelligent for Natsu to keep up with, but she also picked a fight with Gajeel almost immediately when he cracked a joke about her height, so she's okay in Natsu's opinion.

He looks back at Lucy, focusing on her with a careful eye. She seems much more alert than him, though he supposes she's been awake for longer than ten minutes, Natsu barely having time to brush his teeth and slip on his uniform before bolting out the door, Gajeel and Gray being assholes for not waking him up. It was the least they could do, considering they spent the entirety of Saturday night poking fun at him because of Lucy.

Natsu loves his friends, he really does, but he won't deny that he kind of wanted to kill them at that point. They kept cracking jokes about him thinking she's pretty, but he's not oblivious or stupid, he can tell an attractive person when he sees one, even if it usually doesn't—how did Igneel put it?— _set his loins aflame_.

Gods, Igneel is embarrassing. Natsu wishes he had never heard that phrase before. He's seriously considering killing Igneel the next time he sees him, because that phrase is never going to leave his head, forever imprinted there until the day he inevitably dies a horrible, dragon-related death.

Why couldn't he just say "boner"? That would have been a lot less awkward.

Blinking, Natsu shakes the thoughts away, realizing he's getting off track. He sneaks another glance at Lucy, head tilted to one side curiously as he severely hopes Gray and Gajeel don't catch him staring at her so blatantly. They would never let that go.

She looks nice in her uniform, hers not nearly as rumpled as his. Her white shirt looks neatly ironed, her purple and silver tie is straight, and she looks all around more put together than he feels. Natsu glances down at his own shirt, fairly certain that his buttons aren't actually lined up, though he can't be sure, considering he refused to button them all the way. He didn't bother making his tie straight, simply knotting it haphazardly and settling for a disheveled look, hoping it would look intentional.

Natsu unintentionally catches a glimpse at the pale strip of skin between Lucy's socks and the hem of her dark purple skirt, feeling shitty for looking, even if it was an accident. It's not right for him to be staring at her like a creep. He doesn't know her too well, but he damn well knows she deserves better than _that_.

He winces, ashamed of himself for staring, even if she didn't notice.

Oblivious to his thoughts, Lucy turns towards him suddenly, spinning sideways in her chair to face him directly. He blinks back at her, confused, but she only sends him a pretty smile, head tilting to one side as looks at him. "You excited?" she asks him, gesturing to his tapping fingers and jiggling leg. Her expression is almost teasing, but there's something serious in her eyes, as if she's trying to make sure he's okay.

Natsu stills suddenly, realizing he's probably been disturbing her with his incessant tapping. Sometimes he forgets that his ticks distract others, something he never means to do. He's slightly surprised that she waited so long to mention anything, considering they've been sitting around for nearly five minutes now.

He sends her a crooked smile, slowly relaxing into his seat, as he turns towards Lucy. "Yeah," he jokes, giving an over-enthusiastic nod and making her laugh in response. His faux-excitement slips into something more sarcastic. "Biology," he cheers blandly. "Awesome." It's not that he hates learning, he just has absolutely no desire to hear about the filtration process of dragon kidneys or anything equally as pointless to him.

He doesn't know why this course is mandatory, but he's almost positive he's going to hate it.

Lucy leans in a bit closer, laughing lightly. "What?" she teases, something a tad mischievous in her eyes, though it's her surprise that really makes him pause. She looks excited to be here, in the school or this class, he can't be sure, but there's something in her eyes that looks brighter than before. "You aren't excited to learn how dragons fly?" Lucy asks, more serious than before, wistful almost.

"How they fly?" he repeats, grinning back at her. "Sure!" Honestly aerodynamics have always fascinated him. He's always wondered how such large creatures can be airborne. Their bones aren't hollow—not like birds—but Natsu has never learned how they stay above the ground. Though, that's about all he's wondered when it comes to dragons and their anatomy. Everything else seems like either a pain or disgusting to hear about. "How they digest food, not so much," he tells her, laughing along with Lucy.

She glances towards the door, looking to see if their professor is coming, then looks back at him. "I doubt we'll be learning that," she tells him, expression slipping into an easy smile. She pulls her lip between her teeth, eyes narrowing in thought, and Natsu raises a brow.

He smirks. "You sure?" he jokes, unable to hold a serious tone. "Because I've heard these classes are very _thorough_." It's what Igneel told him, though Natsu can't be sure whether the man was telling the truth or simply trying to scare the shit out of him. It seems like a very Igneel thing to do, if he's being honest. Igneel is a good dad, but he's also kind of an asshole sometimes, especially if he's being given the chance to freak Natsu out. The dick.

"Oh, really?" Lucy asks, sounding like she doesn't believe him, though she's willing enough to play along, much to his amusement.

He nods, forcing his expression to become more serious, though he doesn't think it's working all too well. "Yeah, really in-depth." He's not even sure what he's saying at this point, but Lucy seems to find the humor in it, so he thinks he must be doing something right.

Lucy rolls her eyes at him, though her good-natured expression doesn't shift. "I'm sure they are."

"What, you don't believe me?" he jokes.

Whatever Lucy is about to say is lost to the sound of the door slamming open.

The room goes silent. Natsu jumps in his seat, spinning back around rapidly. Lucy is a second behind him, her eyes going wide as her head snaps in the direction of the new face. Her eyes widen slightly, an almost nervous expression on her face, and Natsu's brow furrows in concern, wondering what's made her so tense all of a sudden.

Natsu turns back to the front, wincing when he sees bright red eyes locked on him, their professors expression unimpressed as Natsu shrinks back in his seat, avoiding eye contact as best he can. He peeks up, sighing when he sees the elderly lady has moved on, now focusing on his seatmate, her eyes softening just a hair before she goes back to glaring at all of them, so quick Natsu wonders if it was merely a trick of the light.

He stares at their professor, unsure what he was expecting but it certainly wasn't this. She's relatively taller, at least a head taller than the headmaster, and her expression is more fierce than anything he's ever seen, more dragon than human. Her pale, lilac hair is pulled back in a sever, no-nonsense bun that reveals a thin-lipped frown and sharp jaw line. She looks around the room like she's unimpressed with the fifty students before her, almost bored at having to be here, or perhaps just sick of dealing with young adults after so long.

She sniffs suddenly, looking down at them over her nose. He feels the hairs on the back of his neck stand on end when her gaze slides over him, her expression not changing in the slightest. He supposes that's for the best, he doesn't think he'd like to see her angry face, if he's being honest with himself.

If Igneel somehow forgot to mention this lady—because he can tell she's been here for at least two decades, considering how incredibly _done_ she looks—Natsu is going to be so pissed. It feels a cruel joke. He has his least favorite class with a lady who looks like she wants to rip them all in half and feed them to the dragons, probably while laughing hysterically.

"I," she starts, voice soft yet it booms through the silent classroom, echoing off the walls, "am Dr. Porlyusica." Natsu shares a sideways glance with Lucy, only daring to look away from their professor for a moment in fear of her noticing. "Yes, that is my first name. No, you may not ask my surname. No, you may not call me 'Porly' or 'Professor P.' " She glares at them. "You will refer to me as 'Doctor' or 'Porlyusica' and nothing else."

She stands behind a podium, not pacing, just watching them with a severe stare. "I do not take kindly to riff-raff. I will not tolerate fighting or shouting. You will speak when called upon, and only when called upon. You will raise your hand before speaking." She smiles then, but it isn't friendly at all. "If I catch you speaking without permission, I will ask you a question related to our current topic. If you answer incorrect…" she trails off slowly, hesitating. "Well, I'm sure one of you will find out."

Natsu feels threatened, but wisely keeps his mouth shut. He casts a quick glance around the room, seeing the varying degrees of horror on everyone's faces. Across the room, Sting looks close to pissing himself, the male slinking down further in his chair every time their new professors gaze drifts towards him. Rogue, on the other hand, looks shocked, but not necessarily scared, likely because he doesn't seem like the type to speak during class anyway. And at his right, Lucy looks more bored than anything else, not scared, but perhaps a bit nervous.

Porlyusica gives them a moment to digest the new information before nodding and continuing on. "As you may have guessed," she tells them, "this course will focus on the biological advancement and anatomy of dragons." She clears her throat, giving them all a sharp, unblinking stare. "This will include topics such as evolution, identification, and taxonomy. There will be three exams during the course of the semester. A midterm, a final, and a surprise exam at some point during the semester worth ten percent of your grade."

Natsu whines softly at the news, already knowing this class will be difficult for him. Studying seems even more important now, more so than it ever has been before, and he just knows that things won't end well. At least, not for him. He's never been good at studying, always too distracted by other things. It's not that he isn't smart, he just has trouble focusing on anything for too long.

"Classes are not mandatory on Fridays, however," she pauses, seemingly for dramatic effect as she looks around the room, "there will be an optional study session in which I will be available to answer questions. My office hours are also available, or we can arrange a meeting time if my hours do not work for you."

"Books will be used on tests, though reading them is up to you. I do not assign daily pages. Whether you want to pass this class or not depends entirely on the work put into it." Here, she sighs, eyes slipping shut for only a moment before she relaxes once more. "I realize that many of you do not want to be here, preferring the Corps to studying dragons, however I can assure you that if you pay no attention in classes such as this, you will die on the field."

A hush falls over the room, all of them stunned into silence. The room is so quiet that Natsu can hear Lucy breathing beside him.

"Knowing how a dragon's body moves can be the difference between living and dying out there," she tells them, gentler than before. "The choice is yours."

Several seconds pass in silence, none of them knowing to say or do as Porlyusica glances at every single one of them, practically peeling back their layers and looking inside their minds—at their souls or maybe even something deeper that they aren't even aware of.

She purses her lips, crossing her arms tight over her chest, and frowns at them. "All right, Brats," she sneers, though not unkindly. "I have a question for you." Natsu sinks lower in his seat, confused and weary of her questions, not wanting to risk being chewed out by their new demon professor. "How do dragons breathe fire?" she asks simply, staring them down.

No one moves, as stunned as he is. Natsu never put much thought into how dragons breathe fire, figuring it was either an old magic or simply forgotten knowledge. It's a strange question to ask on the first day, Natsu thinks, considering they haven't learned anything yet. Wouldn't a better question be about something simpler? About something they may already know.

When no one raises a hand she rolls her eyes at them, scoffing. "Pathetic," she hisses. "You all want to work with dragons but do not even know how they breathe their fire?" He sees several people in the room flinch, shame crossing their faces. Porlyusica looks about ready to snap once again, but pauses suddenly. "Miss Heartfilia?" she asks, curious.

Natsu turns to see Lucy raising her hand, only looking mildly uncomfortable when the entire class turns to find who their professor is talking about. Lucy slowly drops her hand, sucking in a deep breath. He keeps his gaze locked on her eyes, watching nervousness flicker across her face before she shoves it down, holding her head high.

She wets her lips, preparing to answer. Lucy worries her lip between her teeth, then looks up, meeting Porlyusica's eyes. "They don't," she says softly, though her voice carries through the room easily.

Natsu hears gasps and a few snickers at the response, but he doesn't look away from Lucy, confused but interested in what she has to say. She doesn't seem to like the attention, but ignores it as best she can, only focusing on their professor.

Porlyusica quirks a brow, though Natsu can't tell by her expression whether or not the answer is wrong. "Care to explain." It doesn't sound like a question.

Lucy takes a deep breath, steeling herself for her answer. "Dragons don't actually breathe fire," she repeats, louder and firmer this time, speaking up so that everyone can hear her clearly. "At least, not exactly." She wets her lips before continuing. "Larger types of dragons have a second lung chamber, smaller than the first." Natsu's eyes widen at the new information, not expecting it. "Only, this second set of lungs doesn't hold oxygen. Depending on the breed of dragon and where they come from, it holds varying types of highly flammable gasses." Lucy swallows. "Smaller breeds don't have the second pair of lungs, which is why they don't breathe fire."

Their professor looks impressed, though just barely. Natsu can see it in the slight quirk of her brows, her lips less severe around the edges. "And how does it turn that into flames?" she asks, urging Lucy to continue.

"There's a ridge just below their lower jaw," Lucy explains, shifting as she begins to remember the eyes on her. Natsu momentarily feels guilty for staring, but he's intrigued now. He never would have guessed any of this. "The tongue is bristled," she continues, "and when the dragon flicks its tongue over the ridge, it makes a spark, which ignites when the dragon breathes out, the spark and gasses mixing."

She finishes her explanation, slinking down in her chair when everyone continues to look at her. Lucy shifts, long hair spilling around her face and hiding her from the rest of their classmates. He notices Lucy's fingers shaking slightly, Natsu coming to the realization that she's afraid of public speaking, but wanted to give her answer anyway.

"Very good, Miss Heartfilia," their professor praises, though she doesn't sound particularly warm. It's more of a stark acknowledgement than it is actual praise, and Natsu winces as she immediately turns away, beginning to prattle on about dragon's fire and what causes it, going into far more detail than Lucy had.

He leans in close to Lucy, bumping her with his shoulder to gain her attention, hoping to make her a little more comfortable. There are still some people watching her, even Natsu can feel their gazes, but he doesn't want her to worry about that. "Smart girl," he teases, grinning when Lucy peeks at him. Natsu remembers Porlyusica's warning, and keeps his voice low, praying she won't hear. "I might cheat off your tests," he tells Lucy, joking around.

Her lips twitch up at the corners, her eyes softening around the edges and her shoulders relaxing. "Try it," she dares him, Natsu grinning wider at the challenge in her words. He's never been one to back down from a fight, even one as silly as this. "And I'll stab you with a pencil." She smiles, showing she's only kidding.

At least, he thinks she is.

Natsu's eyes widen in surprise, jaw dropping slightly. He wasn't expecting a threat, of all things. He has to smother a laugh, swallowing thickly, unsure what to think of Lucy and her pretty smile and joking threats. "That's hot," he tells her, fighting hard to keep the serious expression on his face. He'd be lying if he said there wasn't a hint of truth in that, not that she needs to know.

She raises a brow, smile widening, Lucy revealing a straight row of teeth. "I didn't peg you for a masochist," she whispers, shooting a quick glance at their professor, who's begun to lecture a boy in the front row, the woman completely ignoring the pair of them.

He simply shrugs in response, grinning at her. "Life is full of surprises."

* * *

Their next professor is, perhaps, nicer than the last, though maybe it's just because Natsu likes the class more. He's always been interested in magic, so he's happy to be in a class where he can study it—learn to use it for his own. It's something he's always dreamed of doing, of being like Igneel. He hopes he has an affinity for fire, but Natsu can't know for sure. Magic is typically passed down through genetics, and Natsu doesn't know who his biological parents are. Not that it matters much to him. Igneel is all the family he's ever needed.

Still, he wishes he had some idea of what he could do. It would make things a lot easier, in the long run. Gray, for example, already knows that he can control water, specifically ice. It's a trait that's been in his family for years. Ur has it, as do her three children, Lyon, Gray, and Ultear all manifesting their powers when they were younger, giving them a decent amount of control over their magic, enough to keep them from destroying things or causing accidents.

They were lucky, in that regard. Knowing how to control any magic you possess is vital to having it. There's no logic to starting a fire you can't control.

Of course, there are some people that can't use magic at all, or what they do have is very weak. It can be dangerous to push them to release any power buried deep inside them, too much prodding and it's more likely to explode than anything else, tearing its host to pieces and leaving them broken.

He's never seen it personally, but he's heard stories, all with different beginnings but the same ending. Their bodies simply can't take the pressure building inside them, it snaps their limbs, rips through their skin, destroys them from the inside out. It isn't pretty, or quick, those people dying slow, agonizing deaths with no way to save them.

He shakes the thoughts away not wanting to think about that at the moment. He's sure all of it will be explained in class at some point, their professor will have to mention it, for safety reasons if nothing else.

Natsu glances around the room, desks spread into an odd 'U' shape, the center left clear, a small podium in the center of the room, a magic circle carved into the floor before it. That's what catches Natsu's eyes. He knows the circle—a pretty, complicated design carved into the stone floors—is meant for revealing hidden affinities, urging them to come towards the surface and show themselves to their hosts.

A grin pulls at his lips, excitement coursing through him as he realizes he might find out whether he has any magic in him or not sooner than he was expecting. He doesn't know if it'll happen the first day, or if they'll wait until Wednesday, but he's excited nonetheless. He's been waiting for years; he can handle two more days.

On his left, Natsu can see Gray smiling at him, though when Natsu turns it's already gone, replaced with Gray's usual mask of boredom, his friend looking positively apathetic about everything that's happening. Natsu snorts, shaking his head. He doesn't get it, but it's just how Gray is. If he wants to go through life pretending like he doesn't care, than Natsu figures that's his choice. Gray can do whatever the hell he wants.

Clearing his throat, their professor gains their attention quickly, entrance much less noticeable than Porlyusica's. Natsu takes a moment to observe him. The man doesn't smile, though Natsu would hardly be able to tell if he was, the man's expression swallowed by his thick mustache and long beard, white hair masking his expression from view. At least he isn't glaring at them.

Not yet, anyway. Natsu supposes there's still time for that.

The professor casts a long look around the room, looking at each new face curiously. After a moment, he nods, seemingly impressed with the smaller group. Over half of their class went a separate way after their first course, either having no magic or not being interested in harnessing what they do have, more interested in studying dragons than anything else.

He recognizes even less people than before. Gray and Gajeel are still with him, and Lyon, of course. Natsu can see Juvia and Meredy a few chairs to his left, and Lucy is directly in front of him. Other than them, he doesn't know anyone else in the room. However, at least he isn't alone. He can't imagine how terrifying that could be.

Natsu turns back to their professor, waiting for the class to begin. With it does a moment later, the man's booming voice filling the room, gaining the rapt attention of everyone in the room.

"Class," the man begins, raising a bushy brow at a pair of students that continue to talk. He doesn't snap at them, simply waits until they're finished, the pair cowed by his stare, both mumbling sheepish apologies. He nods, stepping up to the podium and glancing at them again. He looks towards Natsu and he could swear he sees the man smile for a second, but it must be a trick of the light. "I am Precht Gaebolg and I will be your spellwork professor for the length of the semester, and I hope to see all of you again in the next.

He's short, to the point, and Natsu isn't sure how to feel about that.

"We will not be going over the syllabus today, as there are much more important things for us to get through in the short time we have together." He steps around the podium, a slight twinkle in his eyes that reassures Natsu that this professor isn't nearly as much of a hardass as he was expecting. "Today we test your affinities."

Time passes quickly after that, Precht calling them over one by one to test them, letting the rest of them talk amongst themselves as they wait, most of them eager for their turn. Natsu, especially, is growing impatient, his leg back to jiggling as he waits, wishing it was his turn already. He would have gone by now, if Precht hadn't decided to go in reverse alphabetical order, much to his immense distress.

All of his friends have already gone, Lyon and Gray getting out of the test entirely. Gajeel came back with an earth affinity, Juvia with water, and currently they're watching Lucy, her back to them as she sits in the circle, urging her magic to come forward. She's been there longer than most of the other students, and frankly it's making all of them a bit nervous for her, afraid that something could go wrong.

While Natsu doesn't think their professor would let anything happen to her, he knows that accidents can happen. It only takes a moment too long of pushing at magic for people to end up hurt, and Natsu really doesn't want to see anything bad happen to her, not so soon into the semester.

They all watch as Precht murmurs something to her, worry clear in his eyes. Juvia whispers something doesn't catch, but the nervousness in her tone is clear, the girl is just as antsy as he is, possibly even a bit more. She seems the worrying type, always caring more about other people than herself.

Finally, Precht's face softens, the nervousness leaving his eyes as he drops a hand onto Lucy's shoulder, giving her a brief squeeze before letting go. They speak quietly for a moment, then Lucy nods and turns back to them, sending them all a smile when she finds them watching her.

She hops onto the desk Natsu is sitting at when she comes up to them, her legs dangling off the side and swinging lightly, Lucy evidently pleased with her results, even if it did take her some time.

"So what type are you?" Natsu asks, none of the others really listening in as they go back to talking to each other, calmer now that they know everything is fine. Lucy glances down at him, slightly surprised, and he shoots her a smile, bumping her knee with his knuckles, urging her to speak.

Lucy smiles a bit shyly, something sad growing in her eyes, eclipsing her expression. "Light," she finally whispers, biting at her lower lip gently, rolling the flesh between her teeth.

Natsu frowns. "Light?" he repeats, never having heard of it. It must be relatively uncommon, if that's the case. Natsu has made a point of reading of reading up on magic, wanting to know as much about it as possible, wanting to be ready incase he was ever able to use it.

Lyon hears him, leaning into join the conversation. "You know, that's a branch off fire," he muses, tapping his chin lightly in thought. "It's not as powerful magic wise, but certainly nice to look at." Lucy sends him a blank, unimpressed stare and he cringes, sending her an apologetic look. "Sorry."

She starts to respond, but is cut off by Precht calling Natsu's name. He doesn't react at first, too stunned to react, and after a moment Lucy huffs and nudges him with her foot, shoving at him and telling him to move it. He does, stumbling slightly as he stands from the desk, quickly making his way over to the circle on the floor.

Pretcht doesn't say much, just gestures to the circle and tells him to concentrate, on what, Natsu isn't entirely sure, but he figures magic is better left to feelings, rather than any explanation. No one can describe magic, only experience it.

Natsu settles into the circle, taking deep breaths as his eyes slip shut. Precht places a clear stone in his palm, Natsu knowing that, should he have an affinity, the stone will glow accordingly. Red for fire, blue for water, and so forth.

He grasps at the stone, feeling it press into his palm tightly, Natsu eager to find out what he is. He concentrates—on himself, on the stone, on anything he thinks might help. For a long while, nothing happens, Natsu simply sitting there, waiting, agitation growing as he begins to think he's magic less, something that would disappoint him greatly.

He doesn't need magic, he knows, it won't make him anything less to be without it, but it's something he's dreamed about for years, always hoping he'd have something, even if it was only a tiny bit.

Taking a deep breath, Natsu relaxes, ignoring his thoughts and focusing on the stone in his palm, feeling it's smooth edges, the coolness of the stone gradually warming in his hands. Natsu rubs his thumb along the edge, mapping it with his hands, tracing every part he can reach.

His stomach twists into a sudden knot, confusion pricking at him. A warmth fills his stomach, bubbling up until he can feel it everywhere, the tips of his fingers, his chest, down to the soles of his feet. Natsu almost opens his eyes, but waits, unsure what's happening and not wanting to risk ruining things.

Precht laughs lightly, a deep timber that makes Natsu tense, waiting for bad news. "Open your eyes, Mister Dragneel," he murmurs, placing a hand on Natsu's wrist and squeezing slightly, pulling back a moment later.

Natsu hesitates for several seconds, unsure what he might find, but eventually he opens his eyes. He doesn't look down at his hands, not yet, instead watching his professor mutter to himself, evidently impressed with whatever's happened. "It took you a bit," the man tells him slowly, stroking his long beard with one hand. "Though, that can be attributed more to you not focusing than the magic." Natsu's about to protest, offended, but he's cut off. "Regardless, you did well. It came when you called it."

Precht sends him a pointed look when Natsu frowns, confused, and he finally blinks and looks down at his hands, remembering the stone clenched between his fingers.

The stone glows red.

* * *

Natsu is still shaking with excitement by the time they've finished lunch, so much so that Gajeel has gotten concerned, even if he would never say so out loud. His cousin has been watching him for the last two hours, concerned with Natsu's fidgeting. He supposes he should calm down, at least a little, but he can't help it. His magical affinity is fire and that's more than he was expecting—hell, Natsu wasn't expecting to have any affinity at all. Hoping, yes, but not expecting.

He can't wait to tell Igneel.

He's lagging behind everyone, he knows, lost in his thoughts as he follows behind his friends, letting them lead him to their final class of the day. Dragonology has always been something Natsu is curious about. While he may not have a knack for memorizing body parts or knowing how things work, he's always been fascinated by the different breeds and class of dragons, wanting to know anything he can about them.

His favorites are Dolgums like Ignis, but he's fascinated by every dragon he's ever seen, which isn't many, by some standards. There were plenty of smaller dragons and wyverns in the city where he lived, but only Corps members had larger creatures, and they were hard to maintain in the city.

Natsu remembers that they had to build Ignis a roost atop their apartment, just big enough for the large Dolgum to sleep during the nights. Their neighbor Mako was even kind enough to let the shelter extend to above his own apartment, ever the caring neighbor. In return, Natsu would bring him fresh honey for his jewel dragons, the little creatures loving the taste and rich color of the treat. Honey was hard to come by in his hometown, expensive, but Natsu always saved up just enough to get some for the little creatures. Sometimes Natsu would find small piles of loose change on his bed in thanks, the little dragons always grateful for the treat.

Thanks to Mako, Ignis had a large roost above the apartments. Natsu remembers the buildings would shake as Ignis walked in circles to find a comfortable position. Dust would rattle from the ceiling, making him cough, but Ignis would always settle quickly, dipping his long neck over the side of the building to peer at Natsu through his window, checking in on him every night without fail.

He always felt safe with Ignis, sure that the dragon would never let anything hurt him. The dragon could easily crush him if he wanted to, but he was always careful, especially when Natsu was younger, smaller. Ignis would practically walk on his toes then, always watching to make sure Natsu wasn't underfoot.

Dragons, while not the gentlest of creatures, are very caring towards those they do like, always watching out for them as best they can.

As they near the classroom, Lucy drops back beside him, slowing to meet his languid pace, Natsu in no hurry to start his next class. He's sure it'll be fun, of course, but he doesn't think he can handle another two hours of classes today. He would much prefer to go back to the dorm and take a nap, or pick a fight with Gray, or just anything really.

He forgot how painful classes could be, especially morning classes.

Natsu glances down at Lucy, finding the girl already staring up at him, a small smile pulling at her lips. He grins back, feeling his elation beginning to spill over, he's just so excited with the days events. At this point, there's nothing that could spoil his good mood short of someone dying, but that's far from likely to happen. This castle is one of the safer places they could be, well reinforced and teaming with domesticated dragons.

Anyone trying to attack this school would be an utter fool.

"Did you get what you were hoping for?" Lucy asks him, shoving her long hair away from her face, the color glinting gold in the afternoon light spilling through the tall windows on either side of them. Just by looking at her Natsu can see why her affinity is light. He's never put much stock in magic affecting appearance, but there's something about Lucy that makes her seem like an embodiment of light, regardless of the occasional dark tinges in her eyes or lips.

She looks like she was spun from gold.

He laughs lightly, running a nervous hand through his hair. "Something like that." He swallows thickly, glancing down at his feet. A moment later, he peeks back over at her, finding Lucy still waiting patiently. "Did you?" he asks, curious about why Lucy was up there for so long. It was almost as if she didn't have any affinity for a long time, or it was buried so deep that it didn't want to come out.

Lucy sighs, looking embarrassed as she ducks her head. There's melancholy in her eyes, something so small and sad it makes his steps falter for just a moment, his own eyes widening in shock. Her hand fists in her shirt, Lucy chewing on her lower lip for several seconds, avoiding his eyes. Eventually, she looks back up at him, shrugging slightly. "I didn't think I would have anything," she admits, sending him an awkward smile that doesn't reach her eyes.

"Really?" he murmurs back, keeping his voice low so the others can't hear. He doesn't know if it's a sore issue with Lucy, but he knows that it was for him. Natsu doesn't want to make her uncomfortable, but if she wants to talk, he'll listen. "Why?" The question slips out with Natsu meaning for it to, but Lucy doesn't seem to mind.

Her expression brightens just the slightest, just enough for him to notice the twitch in her lips and her eyes widening only a fraction, as if she's surprised he would bother to ask. "Light magic runs in my family," she says simply, heaving a sigh. "But it's a dying breed, only showing up about once every five or six generations." Lucy shrugs again. "And its been growing weaker with every generation." She looks up at him, gaze locking with his. "My mother had it, and before that it was my very great grandmother Anna." Lucy laughs lightly, privy to a joke he doesn't understand.

"Isn't that a good thing?" he asks, confused. His head tilts to the side, Natsu squinting down at her curiously. If the magic decided not to skip several generations, he would think that would be excellent. That means it's coming back, right? He voices the question out loud. "If it's coming back isn't that good?"

"I'm not sure that it is." Lucy smiles at him, but it's tense, unsure, and he realizes that maybe it isn't something good. He doesn't know much about magic becoming stronger, only that too much can rip people apart, their bodies not able to handle the sudden power inside of them. His eyes go wide, realizing what has her so worried. now, he can see the slight tremble of her fingers, her pupils large and nervous.

Not thinking anything of it, Natsu jerks Lucy close against his side, tossing an arm around her shoulders. She blinks up at him, surprised by his bold move, but Natsu only squeezes her shoulder reassuringly, a silent promise that she'll be okay—that he won't let anything happen to her.

It's stupid of him, to promise something like that to a girl he hardly knows, but he doesn't like how scared she looks. If he can help ease those fears, he'll do whatever he can. Natsu might not be the most tactful person, but he hates seeing anyone upset, even strangers.

For a moment, she seems unsure of what to do, and as they slip into the classroom behind their friends, Natsu cracks a shitty joke about fruit that startles her into a laugh, Natsu beaming down at her when Lucy's hands come up to smother her giggles. She leans into him slightly, just enough for him to notice, and Natsu leads her over to another table towards the center of the room, opting to sit next to her instead of Gray or Gajeel, who don't seem particularly bothered, his friends snickering at him.

Ignoring them, Natsu continues to joke around with Lucy, long passed the point of when class should have begun. After around twenty minutes of waiting for class to start, Natsu glances up at the clock, confused, wondering if maybe the dinning hall clock was off. But the classroom clock reads the right time. Class was supposed to start twenty minutes ago and their professor is nowhere to be found.

He wonders if it's some kind of joke and is just leaning in to ask Lucy what she thinks when the door suddenly slams open, banging roughly against the wall and scaring the shit out of all of them. Beside him, Lucy squeaks, jumping slightly, and Natsu glances at her with wide eyes for a moment before his gaze jumps to the new arrival.

The man—evidently their professor—yawns, sending them all a bleary, uncaring look. He rolls his shoulders, taking a long drink from his coffee mug and shoving his messy hair out of his eyes. His nose wrinkles, eyes narrowing as he looks them over. "'Sup, Bitches," he mumbles, Natsu choking on his spit in surprise. "Sorry I'm late," he tells them, not sounding sorry at all. "I slept in."

Behind Natsu, Gajeel snorts, and Natsu can imagine his eyes rolling something fierce. "It's two P.M.," he scoffs, leaning back in his seat beside Levy, who shoves an elbow between his ribs and hisses at him to stop talking.

His gaze snaps to Gajeel, dark eyes narrowed. There's a slight tick in his forehead, the man unamused. "I took a power nap!" he snaps at Gajeel, crossing his arms over his chest. "Now shut up!" The class falls silent, none of them sure what to think. "I'm Gildarts Clive," he begins pulling out a sheet of paper with what must be a hastily written script scrawled across the page. "I'm—whatever, blahblahblah, you don't really care."

He crumples the paper and tosses it over his shoulder, rolling his eyes. Beside him, Lucy giggles, and Natsu glances down at her in bewilderment, though his own lips twitch into a smile when she beams up at him.

"I'm a former Corps Rider," Gildarts tells them, gaining their rapt attention. "I was stationed at the Deluce border." Natsu winces, knowing things must not have been pleasant. Gildarts sighs, shrugging off his heavy jacket. "My dragon's name was Crash. He didn't make it out of our last fight and I lost my arm and leg," he tells them simply, as if stating boring facts. His jacket hits the ground, revealing a heavy, metal limb on his left side. He taps his leg, a metallic sound echoing through the room. "No, you can't touch it. No, I wouldn't feel it. Yes, I would notice, and yes, it would hurt if I hit you with it."

It gains a few snickers from the class, and Gildarts smirks at all of them, obviously pleased with his attempts to lighten the mood.

"I'm here to teach you all about dragons and shit, because why else would you be here?" It's rhetorical, Natsu knows, but Gildarts looks like he's waiting for an answer. "Regardless, welcome to Dragonology 100, you little shits." Natsu is beginning to think this school and it's professors are absolutely nuts, but figures it could be worse. They could be boring. "In this course, you'll be given a brief overview of all dragon classifications as well as non-dragons." Gildarts pauses, frowning. "I think. I haven't checked my lesson plan yet."

The confession startles him into a laugh, Natsu clamping his mouth shut when Gildarts gaze falls on him, a brow raised challengingly.

Gildarts turns to a long row of incubators behind him, tapping on the glass gently. Natsu hadn't noticed them when he came in. "These are the eggs housing the dragons you'll be partnered with towards the middle of the semester," he tells them, eyes narrowing in thought as he pauses. "Hopefully. I'm not sure when they're supposed to hatch. It's whatever." He shrugs and Natsu hears Gajeel snort. "Later this week, you'll all be choosing an egg. And by choosing, I mean one will call out to you, their spirit connecting to yours, and that will be your new partner."

They all look at him like he's nuts.

"Umm, I don't think that's—"

"Put it in the suggestion box," Gildarts tells the student, pointing to the garbage can.

* * *

 **AN: So, I hope you all enjoy the professors! They're fun to write! The only one of these three you'll be seeing regularly is Gildarts, but the other two will be frequently mentioned, so I wanted to give you their introductions to the class!**

 **Got a favorite line? Let me know it a review! I love hearing what you all have to say and greatly appreciate your support!**


	5. Chapter 5

**AN: Be sure to drop a review when you're done! Enjoy!**

* * *

 **Igniparous**

 **Chapter Five**

"I'm just saying," Natsu begins, placing his hands up between them, placating her as Lucy rolls her eyes and leans back further in her chair, crossing her arms over her chest, "history is a pointless class." He shrugs and Lucy scoffs in response, sending him a nasty look as her new roommate continues to gripe about having to take a history course. He's been complaining since their first class on Tuesday, not pleased with having to, evidently, _waste his time_ on something like history.

Lucy glares right back at him, brows furrowing as she narrows her eyes, sending him the meanest look she can muster, though she can't wipe the smile off her face, not entirely. "It's not pointless," she argues back, turning away from him as she fishes a notebook out of her bag, already knowing that this class is going to involve more writing than she'd like.

She only met their professor once before the semester began, and Lucy found out rather quickly that he's quite the chatterbox, and everything he says is something to remember. Annoying as that may be, Lucy would much rather absorb as much information as she can than risk failing, both because of her inherent academic pride and also because she doesn't want to risk disappointing her grandfather. Her fear may be unwarranted, but she only wants to make him proud.

Natsu scoffs right back at her, expression amused as he looks over at her, one brow quirked. "Really?" he asks, sarcasm oozing from his tone. "Tell me when I'm _ever_ going to need to know any of this in a real world situation." It's a challenge and they both know it. It's something they've been doing a lot, honestly.

Lucy is finding that Natsu really enjoys arguing, maybe not as much as his friend Gajeel, but certainly more than most people. They're never vicious arguments, nothing cruel or line-crossing, but there's a certain spark to them. It's more banter than anything, she thinks. He's easy to rile and seems to enjoy getting the same reaction out of others. And he's good at it, much to her annoyance and curiosity. Lucy's always liked to think of herself as a relatively calm person. She doesn't pick fights, but she also doesn't back down from them. And there's just something about him that makes her want to return the light-hearted arguing.

Humming to herself, Lucy pretends to think about it, tapping her chin and pursing her lips. Natsu rolls his eyes in response to her dramatics, but he can't fight the grin on his face, unable to hide it from her. "Maybe when you end up stationed on the Northern Front and nearly end up crushed by an ice giant?" she suggests, sending him a pointed, yet teasing, look.

While she seriously doubts it could ever happen to him, that doesn't mean it hasn't happened before, or that it's not something he should know about. That bit of information could save his life someday. It could have saved Laxus' father's. Though there was nothing about him worth saving.

"How is history going to help me with that?" Natsu questions, twisting in his seat to face her more directly, briefly glancing up to check the time, nose wrinkling when he sees they still have another five minutes before class begins.

Honestly, Lucy doesn't even know why they're here so early. They ended up getting to class twenty minutes before it started, when, frankly, Lucy would have much rather slept in. She's never been much of a morning person, much preferring to stay up late and sleep in. Truthfully, she blames Natsu for being to class so early. He was the one that woke her up, after all, what with his loud mouth and all.

Eight is simply too early to have class.

Lucy sighs, sending him a reproachful look at the question, more annoyed than angry with him. "Because," she stresses, "maybe if you'd pay attention you'd know how to defeat one single-handed like Yuri Dreyar." Her great-grandfather, bless him, was quite the legend when he was younger, made from the same thing myths are carved from. He defended the northern border with his last breaths, dying young but living a life bigger than any one person should have.

Natsu's eyes widen in recognition, though she can't be sure which part sounds familiar to him. It's a wild story, one Lucy can't be sure is entirely true, considering Makarov has a habit of stretching the truth and Lucy fairly certain that the story has changed slightly every time she's heard it. Little things, mostly, but they tend to become crazier the drunker Makarov is.

"As in Headmaster Dreyar?" he asks, much to her amusement. She's also learned that Natsu is horrendous with remembering names. He tries, but more often than not he seems to mix them up, confusing similar names or only remembering first letters. It's endearing, in a way.

She's surprised he didn't forget hers.

"His father," she correctly, giggling slightly, at the confused expression on his face. He squints at her, as if trying to decide if she's fucking with him or not. Lucy has to bite her lip to keep from laughing, not wanting him to think she's merely joking. She's telling the truth. At least, what she's been told is the truth. She has no way to confirm or deny the validity of her very drunken Grandfather's stories. Especially when the story itself is damn near one-hundred years old.

Natsu nods slowly, fingers drumming impatiently across the table. "And he defeated a giant?" Lucy nods, smiling at him brightly, and Natsu's eyes narrow further, unimpressed. "By himself?" His disbelief is clear, Natsu looking at her like she's a horrible liar.

She nods again, deciding to tell him the wildest part, something Makarov was always sure to tell them with pride, as if it was his own accomplishment, rather than his fathers. "With just his fists," she tells Natsu, keeping her voice even. While she thinks it might be a bit of a stretch to believe, she's sure there's some truth to it. There's always a bit of truth to things, even the strangest of stories.

With all she knows about Pra Yuri, she's sure he was capable of great things, even if they don't quite match the stories. Her mother used to tell her about him, little things mostly. He died long before she was born, but Lucy's great-grandmother always used to tell them stories about their relatives, especially Pra Yuri.

Lucy thinks she may know him better than she ever did her own father, a thought that leaves a bitter taste in her mouth. It's a strange thing, to know the dead better than you ever did the living. Though, there was never anything quite worth knowing about her father. She misses him sometimes, but more for the idea of him than who he ever was. He tried to be a better father towards the presumed end, but that doesn't make up for the years of neglect.

A chuckle from Natsu brings Lucy back to the present, her head snapping around to stare at her table partner. Natsu grins at her, shaking his head slowly. "With just his fists," he repeats, an edge of disbelief to the words. It sounds more farfetched when someone else says it, if she's being honest with herself. "I don't believe you," Natsu tells her, the smile never leaving his eyes.

Gasping, Lucy places her hand over her heart, mock offense on her face. "Would I lie to you?" she asks him, pretending to be hurt by the accusation. Honestly, she probably wouldn't believe him either, not when she's only known him for a few days. Maybe someday in the future, she would be able to believe any extraordinary stories he told her. She thinks she's like to be able to believe him.

He snorts, grinning. "Considering we've known each other for less than a week?" he jokes, snatching her pen from her hands and twirling it between his fingers, laughing at her disgruntled expression. "I'm going to say 'yes.' "

Shaking her head, Lucy yanks the pen back out of his grasp, shoving at his shoulder before going back to her notebook, flipping to a fresh page just as someone new steps into the room. Natsu immediately stops jabbing at her shoulder with a finger, skin hovering just an inch from hers as he blinks at the new arrival.

Professor Warrod simply smiles back at them, kind eyes crinkling at the edges as he looks at all of them before heading to his desk in the front, the polished wood overflowing with stacks of old texts and several small trees, growing in bright blossoms and more simple designs. There's a haphazard stack of paper sitting on the desk, tipping towards the edge and threatening to spill onto the floor, creating a large mess. Warrod appears not to notice, absentminded in everything he does.

As he passes, Lucy can hear him humming something soft and joyful, an upbeat melody that Lucy doesn't recognize. She wonders if it's one he made himself, and, as if hearing her thoughts, the man turns to her with the faintest of winks, a secretive curl to his lips. He was a composer, once, a long time ago, and only begun teaching history when he got tired of making it.

He's an old family friend, though Lucy never really knew him. He's flighty, from what she's heard, there and gone again in the blink of an eye. It's a miracle he's still teaching at Eventyr, she wouldn't think that someone so restless would be so easily tied to one place, but he seems content enough, at least on the outside.

Professor Warrod slips to the front of the class slowly, turning to face them all and staring. He blinks twice, his smile twisting into something more grim, more serious. He doesn't look angry, per se, but frustrated, tired. His gaze lingers on Lucy and Natsu for a moment, and she sinks down slightly in her seat, not wanting to be called out in another class, though she doubts Warrod would do that. Beside her, Natsu tenses, apparently thinking similarly.

"I have heard," he begins softly, finally peeling his gaze away from them and glancing around the rest of the room, taking a moment to meet everyone's eyes, "that some of you are wondering why you must take history courses when you are training to fight, is that correct?" It's less a question than a statement, but it gains the desired effect.

A few people look down in embarrassment, others flushing at being caught complaining. Natsu hardly reacts, save for the fisting of his hands and the slight jump of the muscle in his jaw. He doesn't look away from Warrod's kind, but steely gaze, matching the look, green eyes fierce. Lucy bites back a smile, both at Warrod's question and Natsu's response to it. She knows he won't be so easily persuaded to change his thoughts, far too stubborn for that.

Natsu's an easy person to read; his eyes don't lie.

Warrod nods when he sees the reactions from the room, clasping his hands behind his back and turning to pace along the length of his desk, taking slow, even steps. "The answer," he tells them, smiling slightly, "is a simple one, really." He continues pacing, steps audible in the thick silence of the room, every step booming through them. He blinks at them, clearly waiting for a response, a guess to the answer, but no one makes a sound. He only smiles. "Because if we don't remember, who will?"

The question rips through all of them, feeling like a physical blow, rather than simply words. Lucy flinches, grimacing, and she can feel Natsu's eyes on her, eyes narrowed curiously. She meets his gaze, ignoring Warrod as he continues to speak about the importance of history. Natsu looks at her like he wants to ask if she's okay, and Lucy only gives him a sharp nod, smile too bright.

Sometimes, Lucy wishes she couldn't remember.

* * *

Lucy is more than a little surprised to find Natsu in their weapons class before her, sure it would have taken him longer to change into their training attire. She knows that she isn't the fastest person when it comes to changing, but she also knows that she isn't so slow that he should be looking bored as he twiddles his thumbs. He looks like he's been in the room by himself for a while, his expression brightening when he sees her, making Lucy all too aware that they're the only two in the room.

He turns to face her more directly from his spot on the ground, and that's when she realizes he hasn't changed out of his uniform, tie hanging around his throat in a messy knot, Natsu seemingly uncaring that he's not at all dressed correctly, both for the class and for his typical uniform.

Natsu's own expression twists in confusion when he sees her, gaze flicking down to her long, bare legs for only a moment before snapping back up, his eyes narrowing in obvious bewilderment. His head cocks to the side, Natsu giving her another once over, trying to figure out why she's wearing something that very clearly isn't her uniform.

"Out of curiosity," Lucy jokes, plopping down on the floor beside him and grinning, "did you read the syllabus at all?" He didn't, she knows, otherwise he wouldn't be so overdressed or confused. Besides, she's pretty sure she saw him toss the paper as soon as he saw there were no assignments or written tests for the class, only a physical exam towards the end of the semester, to test what they've learned in a more practical way.

He rolls his eyes, but smiles at her when she settles beside him, pulling her legs close to her chest and propping her chin on her knees. "Yes, Lucy," he says slowly, huffing slightly, "I looked at the syllabus." There's an insincere edge to his tone, and Lucy quirks a brow at him, biting back a smile. They both know he didn't, and Natsu seems to realize that she knows, cheeks coloring with faint embarrassment at being caught. "I skimmed the syllabus," he tells her, correcting himself slightly.

Lucy laughs lightly, smiling. "Every Tuesday is lecture and Thursdays are reserved for actual combat training," she explains, gesturing to her tank-top and shorts, her hair pulled into a sloppy bun. She has no idea if they'll actually be fighting today, but she wouldn't doubt that Professor Conbolt would spring something like that on them. He seems like the type to do that, not quite as crazy as Gildarts, but not as methodical as Porlyusica.

So long as he's not Professor Porla, Lucy doesn't think she really cares how he teaches. Anything is better than the hellspawn that seems to hate her for no reason.

Class on Tuesday was hell, and she's pretty sure it's only going to get worse. Somehow, she became his target of the year after he took just one look at her, deciding that she would be the best option for his misplaced wrath.

It's going to be a very long semester. She can feel it.

Natsu, however, doesn't seem discouraged by his improper outfit for what might very well be a series of mock-fights. "Oh," he murmurs, shrugging and shifting to push himself to his feet, "well, no problem." He glances down at her, grinning, and runs a hand through his messy, dyed-pink hair. Lucy stares up at him curiously, confused, but Natsu only winks before yanking off his tie and dropping it into her lap, fingers pulling at the buttons on his shirt without pause.

Lucy merely watches, utterly stunned, and stares wide-eyed as Natsu slips his shirt off and drops it onto the floor. They both ignore the rest of the class filtering into the room, several students sending Natsu strange looks as he shucks off his clothes with little more than a second thought, uncaring of the eyes on him.

She finds her eyes wandering slightly, taking in the sight of Natsu's bare chest and arms appreciatively. She raises a brow, wondering how much he must work-out to look like _that_. He seems almost too toned for a young adult, but she remembers he mentioned his father is in the Corps. Natsu must have been trying to emulate him, she guessed, knowing that Laxus did the same, once upon a time. Regardless, Natsu seems to be more corded muscle than she would have expected. She knew he was broad in the shoulders and was clearly fit, but she's kind of impressed.

Hoping he won't notice, Lucy lets her eyes wander, gaze sweeping down his bare chest to his stomach, taking in the lean muscles on his abdomen and almost wishing he would spin around so she could stare at his back. Her gaze slips lower, his slacks low on his hips, and Lucy colors slightly as she sees the faintest hint of coarse, dark hair trailing from his bellybutton and disappearing below his waistband.

Huh, she would have guessed he was a blond.

Her thoughts come to a sudden halt as she sees him reaching for his belt, buckle snapping slightly as he unlatches it and edges his fingers towards his zipper. Before she can ask him what the hell he thinks he's doing taking his pants off just before their class is about to start, Natsu shimmies them down his hips and lets them drop to the floor, worming out of his slacks and revealing a simple pair of loose gym-shorts. She breathes a relieved sigh, thankful that he wasn't planning to strip down to nothing. As much of a show as that would be, Lucy doesn't think it would fly well with _anyone_ really.

He drops back onto the floor beside her, Lucy feeling red-faced as Natsu nudges her shoulder and sends her a teasing look, brow quirked playfully. He grins and Lucy groans, shoving him away from her when she starts to hear laughter coming from the rest of the class.

Lucy giggles as well a moment later, shaking her head and sending Natsu an incredulous look, to which he merely laughs in response, shrugging slightly and seeming unconcerned with stripping down in front of a room full of practical strangers. Natsu clearly has no shame, she just never thought he would be quite so bold.

Professor Conbolt stares at the pair of them, looking like he wants to ask, but ultimately deciding against it, figuring it isn't worth it. He shakes his head slowly, sighing to himself and slowly makes his way to the front of the room, circling around the large mat in the center of the room, the fight ring.

Macao Conbolt is an unorthodox type of professor, though not in the same way as Professor Clive. While Professor Conbolt still does lectures, he prefers more hands-on lessons, from what Laxus told her. Instead of merely pulling up photographs of the weapons he's discussing, he prefers to bring them in, letting the students get a closer look and discussing the best circumstances to use them and techniques, even demonstrating for them on the first class of the week. Thursdays are when they get to practice themselves, with additional lessons being offered later at night and on Fridays, as well as Macao allowing training sessions over the weekends, giving ample time to familiarize themselves with weapons of their choice.

While he shows new weapons every week, he allows students to stick to what they feel comfortable using, their training leading to their final exam at the end of the semester, some sort of mock-battle system that reportedly changes every year.

"Damn, Natsu!" Gray cackles as he drops down on Lucy's other side, peering around her to heckle Natsu. "Who's the stripper now?" he jokes, sharing a quick look with Lucy, who giggles in response, biting her lip to smother her laughter.

Natsu sends her a wounded look and swats at Gajeel when his cousin shoves at his shoulder. "Still you, Gray," is his only response, Natsu leaning back on his hands and staring up at Macao expectantly. Lucy snorts, rolling her eyes, and he grins back at her teasingly.

Behind them, Levy and Juvia both laugh at the boy's exchange. Lucy leans back at Gray and Natsu begin to bicker over her head, Lucy not bothering to listen to them as she joins the girls' conversation, Lisanna leaning over to chat as well as they wait for class to begin. They don't talk about anything in particular, mostly wondering what the days class is going to be like.

Levy doesn't look comfortable with fighting, constantly biting her lip and tugging nervously on her orange tank-top. Similarly, Juvia doesn't look very excited at the prospect of mock-battles, more interested in casting glances at Gray and blushing every few seconds. Lisanna is the only one of them that seems excited about fighting, chattering about how her sister is one of the top five female fighters out of the second years.

Lucy herself isn't sure how she feels about fighting. She's good at it, she knows, almost able to best Laxus at times, and she enjoys the thrill of sparring with her cousin, but she doesn't want to hurt anyone. And she knows that with a class like this someone is bound to end up hurt. This isn't playing pretend with her cousin anymore, this is preparing for war.

Their conversation is interrupted by Macao clapping his hands together, harsh slap ringing through the room and quieting all of them. Lucy sits back up, shoulder accidentally brushing against Natsu's, and he peers down at her quickly. They exchange a look, Natsu grinning down at her before the two of them turn back to the front. "Chop-chop kids," he calls out to them, "we don't have all day!" They all settle in quickly, staring at Macao with rapt attention.

"Now, today is going to be a bit different from the rest of your classes," he warns them gently, smiling despite the seriousness of his voice. "We're doing mock-fights today, so I want you all to do your best." He grins at all of them, crossing his arms over his chest and nodding at the mat on the floor, the ring. "I just want to see where all of you are now. You don't need to win," he tells them gently, "you just need to show me what I'm working with."

He begins calling people up slowly, choosing pairs at random, not correlating apparent skill or size, who he thinks would be more evenly matched. Lucy understands it, knowing that in a real fight no one would ever be evenly matched. You take what you get, and that's all anyone can do.

Most of the matches are over quickly, the objective being to get their opponent onto their back using any means necessary. Dirty moves aren't something that can be avoided in a real fight. Lucy is finding that most of the students aren't fighters in the slightest, obviously never exposed to combat or weapons training. Understandable, given the world they live in. Sword fighting is a thing of the past, and hand-to-hand combat isn't something most people train for.

Macao claps his hands together as another match finishes, two students Lucy doesn't know slowly picking themselves off the floor, congratulating each other good-naturedly before slinking back into the crowd, disappearing off to different corners of the room. "Next!" Macao calls out, searching the crowd of students for the next fight. "We'll have Jackal," he calls the name of an unfamiliar student—with a very unfortunate name, she must add. She doesn't know who in their right mind would name their child Jackal, of all things. Though, she is roommates with a Sting and a Rogue, so she shouldn't be surprised anymore.—and Lucy watches as a blond slips through the crowd and steps into the center of the ring, casting a long, cocky look around the room and grinning as if he's already won.

She rolls her eyes, scoffing at how pretentious he is, acting as if he's already won. That kind of attitude would get him killed in a real fight. He looks like the type to constantly underestimate his opponents. That's a dangerous mindset, one Laxus always told her never to have. While it's never good to doubt oneself, it's even worse to doubt the strength of everyone else. It's the fastest way to die on the field.

Jackal isn't going to win this fight, not in the slightest.

Macao hums as he continues searching the room, Natsu shifting beside her, his hands clenching in excitement, hoping he'll be next. He's been antsy all class, impatiently waiting for his turn and grumbling to himself whenever someone else is called. She thinks he's bitter that Gray was one of the first ones called to fight, Natsu continuously shooting his friend nasty looks and pouting, much to her amusement.

Macao's gaze stops on Natsu and Lucy, a grin overtaking his face, and Lucy sighs, excited to see Natsu get into the ring. It's not, however, Natsu's name that Macao shouts, much to her horror.

"And Lucy!" He gestures for her to come forward, but she finds herself rooted in place, shaking her head slowly. Her breath catches in her throat, panic swelling in her chest, less because of the prospect of fighting and more because of the way everyone in the room is eyeing her, glancing between her and Jackal sympathetically, already writing her off. "Get up here!"

A pit of anger settles in her stomach, her hands clenching as she sees the pitying glances tossed her way. Lucy wets her lips, taking another look at Jackal knowing he's bound to be a sore loser if he doesn't win, unsure if she wants to deal with that, not wanting the ire of two people during the semester. "I don't think that's a—"

Jackal cuts her off, sneering. "Oh, come on, Girly," he spits at her, sending her a smile that's all teeth and vaguely threatening. "I won't hurt you too bad," he jokes, urging her to come forward.

Her hands clench into fists, lips pursing as she narrows her eyes at him, suddenly livid. She's spent too much of her life being written off like that, and she's sick of it. A hand settles on her arm, fingers squeezing around the joint. Her head snaps up, Lucy locking eyes with Natsu, who grins down at her reassuringly, expression roguish. "Kick his ass," Natsu tells her, giving her a little push forward.

Making her way to the ring, she hears her new friends wishing her luck. Lucy smiles back as best she can before stepping into the ring, taking in Jackal slowly. He's tall, wiry, and looks like he has a bad temper, something she's sure will come in handy. He'll be too quick to act, too impatient. He'll lunge for her right away, thinking it'll be over quickly, that she'll go down in one hit. And he's an idiot to think that, to underestimate her like that.

Macao glances between them when he sees they're ready, nodding and stepping out of the way. His whistle settles between his lips and he gives each of them another stern look, reminding them to behave and try their hardest. Lucy could swear he sends her a little wink, knowing that Lucy isn't one to be underestimated. She'll have to ask him how Romeo is doing sometime, she's missed seeing him on occasion, it's been too long.

Macao blows the whistle and it's over before it starts.

As expected, Jackal charges at her without an apparent second thought, thinking the fight would be too easy. Lucy lets him come, knowing that while he has more raw power, she's faster than him, more agile. After years of fencing and dance lessons, Lucy thinks she could run circles around him, one step ahead.

She lets him get close, his fist reeled back to hit her hard. One hit, that's what he wants. One hit and then it'll be over.

She'll give him one hit.

Jackal is practically on top of her, fist swinging, when Lucy steps to the side and grabs him by the wrist, ducking beneath him and lashing out with her foot. He stumbles and she yanks his wrist forward, just like Laxus taught her. As he falls, her grip on his arm forces him onto his back, and he lands on the mat hard, a dull thud echoing through the silent room.

Lucy exchanges a look with Macao, who sends her a nod, and then walks away, heading back to her new roommates without a second thought. She's met with varying looks, Levy and Juvia both shocked, Gajeel a mixture of confusion and amusement, unsure whether to gape or smile, and Gray nods at her, clearly impressed, albeit surprised.

It's Natsu that makes her pause, however, Lucy stilling as she meets his eyes. He grins at her, piercing pulling at his lip, and she smiles back a bit shyly, unsure what to say. He's looking at her like he knew she could do it, a hint of wonder in his eyes. Slowly, he shakes his head, eyes on her as she slips back to his side, shoulder bumping his as she sits down.

"You're somethin' else," he tells her gently, shaking his head and smiling, green eyes bright, "you know that?" His arm bumps against hers, and Lucy laughs at the praise, though the sound is choked off when she catches a pair of eyes staring at her from across the room, rage burning beneath them.

It's going to be one hell of a semester.

* * *

"Well," Lucy drawls, glancing sideways at Levy perched on the chair across from her, "I'm pretty sure he hates me." Professor Porla, she means. She doesn't know what she did to piss him off, but she's already dreading the second day of flight class. She wants to enjoy the class, not be miserable for two hours twice a week for fifteen weeks, because that's sixty hours of being miserable and tolerating snide comments from a man who should definitely know better.

Any forty year old that has to harass an eighteen year old to feel better about themselves is honesty pretty pathetic, not that she'd tell Porla that. Lucy doesn't really feel like being kicked out of the class or being forced to polish dragon saddles until her fingers bleed. And that's an actual punishment she could face. Jose Porla is one of the stricter professors—though Lucy maintains that he's just a colossal asshole—on campus and he tolerates less than Porlyusica and Precht combined.

She remembers Laxus coming home one semester during break, hands bandaged from his wrists to his knuckles. He was only nineteen then, and cuts left scars on his hands. Laxus didn't mind them, thinking they were cool and made him look like a badass, but they made Lucy sick to look at. She could never understand what kind of sick person would do that to someone else. More over, she couldn't understand how Makarov would allow it.

It lead to a screaming match between them, Lucy pissed and hurt that her grandfather would ever turn a blind eye to that, especially after what Ivan Dreyar did to Laxus for so many years. It was the one time she was ever ashamed of her grandfather, and she knew that cut him deeper than anything. He explained of course, how no one ever came forward and how Jose technically never laid a hand on anyone. Makarov told her that he would love to fire Jose, but the board wouldn't allow it, not listening to reason if there was no proof or accusations.

She doesn't understand how people can be so awful.

Levy rolls her eyes, shaking her, a little smirk on her lips. "He doesn't _hate_ you," Levy coos back, biting back a laugh as she stares at a pouting Lucy. There an edge of a scoff in her words and Lucy glares, crossing her arms tightly as Happy settles further into her lap.

The cat seems to have grown rather fond of her for some reason, more often than not curling up by her side, completely ignoring a disgruntled Natsu. He's accused her of bewitching his cat, much to her amusement, though he was smiling while he said it, obviously having no hard feelings towards her. Besides, he's seemed to grow rather attached as well. The two of them have been at each others hip all week. It's not that the others aren't friendly enough, it's just that there's something about Natsu, how friendly and open he is.

He's an easy person to trust.

Beside her, Natsu snorts, tossing his arm around the beck of the couch behind her head and wrinkling his nose at Levy. "Oh, he totally hates her," Natsu argues with the girl, eyes narrowing in annoyance, but not at Levy. His fingertips brush against her shoulder, and in her lap, Happy trills in agreement, nuzzling into Lucy's belly almost comfortingly. Lucy leans slightly into Natsu's side, bumping her shoulder against him.

Huffing, Levy throws her arms up, tossing her playing cards into the air, exasperated by the pair of them. "He doesn't hate her!" On the floor, Juvia and Lisanna both giggle, and Sting swears when he realizes he's lost. Gray rolls his eyes and Gajeel barks something at Levy, telling her to "calm your shit, Shorty!" and pay attention to the game.

Their impromptu poker game is coming to a rapid close, none of them particularly good at it and class beginning in only a few minutes, hence why Lucy is complaining.

Lucy sighs, glancing up at the clock and blanching when she sees they only have ten minutes until class starts. Her stomach twists into unpleasant knots, Lucy wincing. Maybe things will be better today, but she wouldn't bet money on it.

"Levy," Natsu scoffs, rolling his eyes and settling further into the couch, knee bumping against hers as he glares at the irritated girl, "he kept making snide comments about her every five minutes." On the floor, Gray and Gajeel exchange smirks, much to her confusion, but she brushes it off, figuring they aren't smiling about their professor being an ass to her.

"Those comments could have been about anyone," Levy replies, softer this time, more unsure. Lucy knows that the other girl isn't trying to discredit her or call her a liar, she just trying to calm Lucy's nerves, make her feel like Jose isn't targeting her in some way. Lucy appreciates the gesture, but the point is moot, she already knows Jose was talking about her, he made that very clear.

A snort comes from her right, and Lucy turns to see Natsu's jaw clench, his green eyes going steely with anger. She nudges him with her elbow, snapping him out of it, and his fingers brush against her shoulder appreciatively.

"He looked me directly in the eyes as he said them," she reminds Levy, and the other girl blanches when she realizes Lucy is right. It their Tuesday class, Lucy somehow ended up right between Levy and Natsu, and both of them were equally unnerved by the way Jose kept glaring in their direction, usually pairing his dirty looks with saying something very clearly about Lucy, though vague enough not to get called out on it.

The rest of her roommates look at her sympathetically, trying to smile at her, but they're all awkward, unsure what to say to cheer her up. Gray and Gajeel exchange another look, both seemingly uncomfortable with the sudden tension in the room. "Are you sure he wasn't looking at Natsu?" Gray asks, shattering the silence and dragging laughs from the others.

Natsu, of course, isn't as amused, and lunges at Gray with a flying tackle.

* * *

Professor Porla is droning on and on about the proper technique to flying an Ironbelly, a stupid lesson to teach them, considering Ironbellies are near extinct and no longer used in the Corps, researchers not wanting to lose the last of the remaining giants. Lucy simply doesn't understand why they need an entire lesson about it when it's something they legally can't do. While she doesn't agree with Natsu about history being pointless, she will admit that there are some things that have no purpose being taught when there are more practical things for them to know.

Such as, perhaps, how to properly fasten their flight gear so they don't fall off and _die_ during their first flight of the semester. Lucy thinks that's much more important than how to fly dragons that hardly exist anymore, though maybe that's just her.

When Jose isn't looking, Natsu turns to her, leaning over to whisper in her ear, so close that she can feel his breath against her skin. "Hey," he murmurs, lips brushing against the shell of her ear "don't worry about what he says." He leans back slightly, and Lucy turns to face his directly. "It's not a big deal, right?" Natsu sends her a heart stopping grin that lights up his entire face, and she can't help but smile back, if only for a moment.

"I guess not," she whispers back, shrugging slightly. She glances up, making sure their professor still isn't paying any attention to them, and turns back to Natsu with a smile that doesn't quite reach her eyes. "It's just…" she trails off, shaking her head, and sighs as she leans back in her seat, hastily reaching for her pen to scribble down the notes she's been missing, sure she can get them from Levy later.

Fingers curl around her arm, and Lucy blinks at Natsu in surprise, not expecting the gentle touch. He squeezes her arm, fingers warm around her bicep. "You're allowed to be upset about it," he tells her, eyes honest and softer than she's seen them before. There's no smile on his face this time, only something serious that tells her everything is going to be all right.

He's one of the most expressive people she's ever met, and not for the first time she wonders how someone could wear their heat on their sleeve like that.

Lucy sends him a small smile, letting him know she's okay. "I should have seen it coming," she tells him suddenly, forcing a giggle. And really, she should have. Laxus warned her about him, and she already knew the man had no love for her cousin, or her mother, for that matter. Lucy shouldn't have expected anything better than that. She's lucky that the man isn't outright tormenting her.

Natsu frowns, leaning in closer so that no one can hear them. Behind her, she hears Gajeel and Gray murmur something to each other, but the words are lost on her. "What do you mean?" Natsu asks, a confused and almost angry lilt to his voice, as if he can't believe she thought she should have known something like this would happen. She figures she shouldn't have, but there's nothing she can do about that now.

"Well, I mentioned Laxus before, right?" she asks him, chewing her lower lip as she looks between him and the front of the room, glad they're situated towards the middle and not the front, where Jose would be sure to hear them. They aren't the only one's talking, but she figures with her luck she'll be the only one called out for doing so.

Natsu nods slowly. "Your cousin?" Recognition lights his eyes and then he nods more earnestly, recognizing who she means. Lucy wonders if she should show him a picture, maybe that would help him remember who she means, but that would have to wait for some other day. Natsu blinks back at her expectantly, waiting for her to continue.

Lucy nods discreetly, freezing when Jose turns back to the class, if only for a moment. When his back is turned once more, Lucy glances at Natsu. "Yeah. He graduated a few years ago," she explains quickly. "Anyway, apparently Professor Porla picks at least one student per year to harass and be a general dick to."

"And he picked you because?" Natsu trails off slightly, waiting for her to finish. He glances at their professor briefly, lip curling up in disgust when he looks at the man.

Shrugging, Lucy leans in to whisper in his ear. "Laxus was kind of an asshole," she tells him, biting back a giggle. "He was a troublemaker when he was younger, and it pissed Jose off to no end." Lucy pulls back a bit, meeting his eyes as the smile slowly slips from her face. "I'm guessing Jose is still pretty sore about some of the pranks Laxus pulled, but since Laxus isn't here…" she leaves the rest hanging, wincing slightly.

Natsu nudges her shoulder with his before leaning back and grinning, a wild look in his eyes. He shoves his brightly colored bangs away from his eyes. "Hey, don't worry about it," he says firmly, a slightly growl to the words, making them sound more like a demand than anything. "If he starts shit, I'll beat him up for you." It sounds like a promise, and Natsu sends her a little wink, nearly startling her into a laugh.

Biting her lip to keep from laughing, Lucy shakes her head, amusement clear on her face. "Natsu," she chastises, shaking her head at him, a small giggle escaping her, "you can't fight our professor."

He quirks a challenging brow. "Watch me."

"Miss Heartfilia," an angry vice cuts in, making her flinch. Natsu goes rigid, eyes narrowing into a glare as he turns back to the front. Lucy turns as well, cringing under the gaze of Professor Porla, who sneers down at her, contempt clear on his face. "Do you know the difference between a Wernuit saddle and a Vanglass?" he asks, her heart sinking into her stomach.

Lucy wets her lips, gaze flickering between the table top and his cold gaze. Beside her, Natsu crosses his arms, unimpressed with the man, and on her left, Levy subtly bumps her hand against Lucy's, giving her silent support. She appreciates them both for trying to help, but Lucy knows it's not going to get her out of this one. "No, Professor," she admits, "I don't." Because that's not something they learn until second semester. First is all about staying on a dragon. Second is when they get into more technical and specific things.

She almost says this out loud, but catches herself before she can, not wanting to make things worse.

Jose glares down at her, eyes dark and filled with malice. There's something calculating there, as if he's planning to pick her apart. He could do it, to, if he wanted. As a professor, he's privy to much of her private information. He knew her parents, and was friends with her uncle Ivan at one point. He could break her if he wanted to. "And why is that?"

Lucy swallows, deciding she's not going to let him beat her down like this. She's a Dreyar, after all. She won't put up with this. "I've never seen them," she says honestly. Her parents were both fond of the less popular Edelweiss style, more elegant than the others, and also more expensive. The style is rarely used in the Corps, but that never stopped her father from using his. Lucy clears her throat, shaking the thought away. "And you haven't told us the difference yet," she reminds him, a slight bite to her words.

"Your father was in the corps, wasn't he?" Jose continues, almost accusing. Lucy tries not to flinch at the word "was." Jude Heartfilia was never a good father to her, but his disappearance still stings. He did raise her, for a time, and she still has some hope that he's alive somewhere, but she won't hold her breath.

She clears her throat, a lump welling there and threatening to choke her off. "He was," she replies quietly, fighting to keep her voice from cracking. The rest of the class shifts nervously, unsure what's happening, but not liking the sudden tension in the room.

Beside her, Natsu practically growls, his shoulders tensing as Jose takes a step towards them, weaving through the tables until he's standing right in front of them, looming over them almost threateningly.

"And your cousin?" Jose continues, heedless to the way Lucy's breath catches, her entire body locking up, tears burning at the back of her eyes. Jose already knows that Laxus has been gone for months, somewhere far away where she can't reach him. "How is Laxus? It's been awhile since I've heard from him." There's a cruel edge to the words, something like satisfaction in Jose's tone, and Lucy wants to curl in on herself.

Taking a shaky breath, Lucy responds with, "I don't know."

But Jose isn't done, not yet, not until he's picked her apart and left her as a mess, knowing just how to do it. "You don't know how your cousin is?" he asks, mock-surprise in his words, a falseness that rings loud and clear, practically a beacon. His indifference is palpable and it makes her skin crawl.

Lucy shakes her head slowly, the movement stiff. "No, Sir, I don't." Levy's fingers curl through hers, her new friend squeezing tight, a silent promise not to let go. Natsu actually does growl this time, an edge of warning to the sound spilling from the back of his throat. His hands clench atop the table, knuckles a stark white from the pressure, contrasting greatly with his darker skin tone. Behind her, she hears Gajeel swear, and Gray mumbles something she doesn't hear, though his tone is unfriendly.

Jose breathes a laugh, expression cold as he stares down at her, no amusement to his expression. "You're just like your mother," he tells her. Lucy's heard that before, but it's never sounded quite so much like an insult as it does now. She flinches as if he's actually hit her, and Natsu doesn't miss the motion, a fury rising in his eyes. "She never was concerned with anyone but herself."

Natsu lunges to his feet so quickly that his chair clatters to the ground behind him, rattling violently as Natsu rises to his full height, towering over her. "What does that have to do with anything?" he snarls at Jose, surprising her.

She didn't think he was serious about picking a fight, but judging by the rage flickering in his eyes and the hard line of his lips, Natsu looks seconds away from jumping over the table and doing something he'd later regret. She believed Gray when he said Natsu's a hot-head, but she wasn't expecting _this_.

Jose reels back, shocked, and then he glares right back at Natsu, several inches taller than the younger man but thinner. If it came down to an actual fight, Lucy knows that Jose wouldn't win, but Natsu would also be gone by morning. "You were not given permission to speak, Mister Dragneel," Jose says calmly, a slight waver to his voice.

"Yeah?" Natsu sneers back, hands tightening into fists at his sides. Gajeel and Gray both shuffle in their seats, and Lucy knows they wouldn't hesitate to jump in as well if a fight does start. "And who gave you permission to be an ass? Aren't you supposed to be teaching us? Why don't you tell us what the difference is, instead of berating us for not knowing?" Lucy grabs Natsu by the wrist, tugging him back gently, shaking her head. Natsu hesitates, locking eyes with her, and softens slightly when he sees her pleading expression.

He allows Lucy to pull him back, Natsu reaching behind him to fix his chair before slipping back down. The anger doesn't leave him, and Lucy could swear she sees a hint of fire dancing across his knuckles, but he settles beside her, Lucy keeping a firm grip on his arm.

"Mister Dragneel, I'll see you after class," Jose tells him stiffly, turning and walking back to the front. "I think we need to have a chat about your attitude."

Natsu snorts, baring his teeth and gaining the last word. "Yeah, I'm definitely the one with the problem."

* * *

That night, Natsu comes back to the dorm with bloody knuckles and a tired smile, walking in just past two to find Lucy waiting for him on the couch.

* * *

 **AN: This chapter was a bitch to write and I kind of hate the first half of it. Sorry for the two week delay. First I was just frustrated and couldn't finish it, then I started a new job and BLEH. I've been having a bad few days guys lmao I think I need to find some chocolate and a movie and cheer up.**

 **Let me know your favorite line/part in a review and please see a short peak at next weeks chapter ;) (reviews will also receive a second preview!)**

 **PS: PLEASE let me know what you think, I always try to respond to reviews as best I can and I really appreciate them! Now that I have a schedule down, I should be able to respond quicker and stay on a steady schedule! Thanks!**

* * *

Mira pulls the drunk girl away from them, leaving a stunned Natsu and Lucy behind as they disappear into the crowd. Lucy blinks rapidly, lips parted slightly in bewilderment, unable to process what just happened. She glances up at an equally baffled Natsu, who turns to stare down at her, eyes wide and confused. "Did she just offer us condoms?" Lucy asks him, a flush settling over her skin at the implication.

Natsu nods slowly, and the arm curled around her waist suddenly becomes far more noticeable than before. His fingers press into her side, and maybe it's the alcohol or maybe it's because he looks dangerously attractive in the low lighting, but Lucy finds herself leaning into his side. He wets his lips, swallowing thickly as his gaze locks with hers. "I think she did," Natsu murmurs back, Lucy barely able to hear him over the thrumming music, so loud she's afraid it might rattle the building right into the ocean.

"Well than…" she trails off, tongue thick in her mouth, Lucy unsure what to say. The foil package settles between her breasts, and she can feel Natsu's eyes on her chest, though she knows he's trying not to stare. His hand burns against her hip, and she isn't sure if it's his magic or if he's just naturally hot, but Lucy finds herself enjoying the way he grips at her skin.

His head dips down, lips skimming her ear slightly, breath warm against her neck. She shivers and his fingers squeeze around her, Natsu pulling her tighter against his side until Lucy can feel every inch of him pressed against her. "Better safe than sorry," he breathes against her ear, something thick and low in his voice, nearly a growl.


	6. Chapter 6

**AN: Be sure to drop a review when you're done! Enjoy!**

* * *

 **Igniparous**

 **Chapter Six**

Friday night is turning into something of a disaster, if only because none of them have a clue what they should do. The previous weekend, they'd all been too tired and too stressed to do more than bitch about their classes and make martinis in the small kitchen of their dorm. It seemed like a good decision at the time, until Saturday morning, of course. It wasn't bad, however, not once they all sobered up and took to chatting about themselves: who they are and where they came from, why they're at Eventyr to begin with.

It was mostly pleasantries, all of them still getting used to the new company, but Lucy enjoyed it. She'd never had many friends before, but she's finding it easier than expected. She studies with Levy and Juvia most nights and they've settled into an easy friendship that makes Lucy feel lighter inside. The others girls are friendly enough, but Meredy is always with her friend Ultear, who happens to be Gray's sister. Lisanna is gone most days, spending time with her siblings, and Yukino is more shy than Juvia, though she does seem to like Sting and Rogue, who've both taken a liking to the soft-spoken girl. Lyon is nice, but he's made friends with people outside of their dorm. Gajeel and Gray have taken an almost older brother type role to the girls in the dorm—though Gajeel antagonizes Levy every time he gets the chance, making her think Gajeel has intentions that aren't entirely platonic—and are generally pleasant when they aren't trying to kill each other over video games.

Most surprising is her relationship with Natsu, if she's being honest with herself. She never would have expected to connect with someone so easily, but he's wormed his way into her life, a constant presence. He's imprinted on her, in a way, much like his cat. They've both taken to her, though Lucy almost wishes he hadn't. He's easy to care about and easy to care for others, but almost too much so. It's gotten him nothing but pain lately, though Natsu doesn't appear to care.

She's been worried about him. Jose has given him detention everyday after class for the last week, still sour about Natsu sticking up for her last Thursday. His knuckles are constantly wrapped in bandages, red stains bleeding through every few hours. Lucy's tried her best to patch him up, but they're only reopened the next time Jose decides to teach him a lesson. She'd been fed up with it by the third time it happened, and stormed passed a confused Natsu, returning just after midnight after Jose had made him stay late once again.

His knuckles were red and bloody and Lucy didn't hesitate as she shoved her way into Makarov's office, demanding he do _something_ about it. He promised he would, surprised by what she told him, and Lucy trusts her grandfather enough to know he'd do the right thing. She wouldn't know the results until next Tuesday, but she'll be damned before she lets Natsu bleed again because of Jose Porla.

Lucy returned to the dorms that night to find Natsu trying to wrap his own knuckles, his hands shaky, trembling so hard that he couldn't grasp the roll of bandages, his hands slight with blood and sweat, so much that it was dripping into the bathroom sink. He managed a smile when he saw her, his green eyes tired and pained, lips pulled into a forced line that didn't reach his eyes. He tried to tell her he was okay, that it didn't hurt, but she didn't believe him.

She didn't know how it happened, but somehow she ended up sitting on the counter, Natsu resting between her spread legs as she applied an antibiotic cream to his split skin, Natsu wincing slightly when her cool fingers brushed against ripped and worn skin, low whines pulling from his throat with every brush of her fingers. He didn't pull away though, didn't fuss or snap at her when she prodded too hard, Lucy's hands unpracticed with wrapping bandages.

They didn't say a word as she worked, Natsu staring at the mirror behind her, expression blank, eyes hollow. It was chilling, Natsu less alive than she'd ever seen him. That look was enough to give her nightmares, to see someone so vibrant reduced to vacant eyes and bloody skin.

Almost absentmindedly, his free hand settled against her thigh, his fingers pattering against her skin, drumming to an unsteady beat. He smeared blood across her leg, but neither cared, Natsu lost to the world and Lucy more concerned with him than a little blood, something she could handle well enough.

Lucy's seen her fair share of it in life, from herself, from Laxus, from the way her mother would prick her fingers on rosebushes, thorns ripping at her skin. It was nothing new to her, other than whose blood was slicking to her fingers, making them slick.

Natsu trembled against her the entire time she wrapped his knuckles, staring over her shoulder, hardly realizing she was there. If he hadn't gripped at her thigh when she pulled the bandages too tight, she would have thought he was too far gone to realize he wasn't alone. The thought made her wince, guild weighing heavy on her heart. He didn't deserve any of it, not for sticking up for her, but he was the one bleeding, not her.

Eventually, when the silence became too much for her, Lucy began to murmur to him, nonsense mostly, anything to get him to respond, Lucy growing nervous with his silence, not used to Natsu being so silent. It was unnerving, terrifying even, to see the life leave someone's eyes like that, gone in an instant.

That was only the night before, and while Natsu seems to be feeling better, he still looks tired, almost defeated as he puts on a smile, laughing and making jokes, pretending everything is fine. She hasn't left his side much since then, not wanting to leave him alone to his thoughts. Lucy doesn't know if it's helping or not, but she hopes she can do something.

"What the fuck," Gajeel suddenly snarls from his place on one of the chairs in the room, gaining everyone's attention easily. "Are we really reverting back to preschool?" he asks, glaring. He crosses his arms over his chest, sneering at all of them. "Because I did not sign up for this shit!"

Lucy rolls her eyes at the man, settling further into the couch and tossing her legs across Natsu's lap, flipping through her book absentmindedly. It takes her a moment to figure out what Gajeel is complaining about, but then she remembers Levy's suggestion that they play a few games to get to know each other, and Lucy decides that must be what has Gajeel throwing a tantrum. If there's one thing she's learned about Gajeel, it's that he loves to pick a fight with everyone, especially Levy.

"Shut the fuck up Gajeel," Gray hisses from the other end of the couch, sending his friend a nasty look. "You're upsetting Juvia." He points to the girl sitting on the floor, her big eyes wide and a little sad. She was excited about the prospect of playing a game, the shy girl talking excitedly to Lucy and Levy, positively giddy.

Gajeel merely huffs, shrugging and looking unfazed by the news. "What do I care?" he grumbles, though he does peek over at Juvia, wincing just the slightest when he sees her put off expression. Despite his intimidating nature, Gajeel really is a big softy. "She cries all the damn time!" Gajeel reminds them, though he doesn't look nearly as sure of himself as he sounds, eyes nervous as he glances between Gray and Juvia.

Lucy sighs, dropping her book into her lap without a second thought, knowing she isn't going to get any ready done with how noisy the commons are. It would be a miracle if she got through more than just a few pages. "Can you play nice for two seconds?" she asks Gajeel, crossing her arms and worming a bit further into Natsu's lap, what with him being comfortable and evidently not minding in the slightest. "Please?"

Natsu squeezes her ankle suddenly, almost placating, and she leans back into the couch, sending Gajeel a sour look. Levy grins up at her from the floor, and Lisanna glances rapidly between Lucy and Gajeel, hiding a smirk behind her hand as she waits for the inevitable show. Across the couch from her, Gray sighs, mumbling something about how things aren't going to end well, but she simply ignores him.

Red eyes slide to meet hers, Gajeel glaring at her. Lucy figures she's supposed to be intimidated, but she knows Gajeel wouldn't actually hurt her in any way. He'd be a colossal dick, but he wouldn't actively try to hurt her feelings, only try to get a rise from her. "Oh?" he drawls, quirking a brow at her. "What if I can't, Bunny Girl?" he asks, eyes teasing.

Lucy gasps, surprised that he would even bring that up. The one time she wakes up in the middle of the night and runs smack into Gajeel on her way to the kitchen, she just _happens_ to be wearing her bunny print underwear. He's an ass for bringing that up, and Lucy can see the confused expressions on everyone's faces, no one understanding the joke.

If Lucy has her way, no one ever will.

"What did you just call me?" she hisses back at Gajeel, hackles raised. The other occupants of the room seem surprised by her sudden anger, none of them having seen her quite so riled up before. Lucy ignores them, gaze focused on Gajeel's smug expression. She imagines ripping that look off his face, wondering if he'd be laughing then.

As if sensing her thoughts, Natsu taps her knee, her gaze peeling away from Gajeel's to peek over at him, Lucy softening slightly at the look he sends her.

She's prepared to simply let things go, but that's when Gajeel decides to open his big mouth again, egging her on. "You gonna do something about it?" he asks, teasing, a challenge to his words. Gajeel bites back a smirk, grin absolutely shit-eating, eyes alight with mirth. Apparently, all of his enjoyment comes from annoying the hell out of other people, which would be fine and dandy if Lucy wasn't on the receiving end of it.

Gray groans, rubbing a hand down the side of his face before turning to glare at his friend. "Gajeel, are you stupid?" he snaps, shaking his head and seething, more frustrated than usual. Gray is usually the calmer of the three boys, after all. "Last week you literally saw her knock a guy on his ass," he reminds Gajeel, rolling his eyes, evidently unamused with Gajeel's hot-headedness.

The boys glare at each other for a long moment, and beside her, Natsu smirks, eyes flickering between them as if waiting for a show. She's seen Natsu and gray fight before, and it's positively apocalyptic, but she's never seen Gray and Gajeel get into anything more than slight arguments, more bickering than fists. She wonders which of them would win in a fight.

Natsu looks like he would jump in if they _did_ start fighting, but surging upward would only succeed in knocking Lucy to the floor, something she would rather avoid if possible.

Gajeel snarls back at Gray, baring his teeth. "I'm not the one fucking underestimating a little girl," he snaps, crossing his arms, muscles straining beneath his shirt. Lucy bristles at his comment, eyes narrowing as she fumbles for the book in her lap. "I think I fucking know better than to— _oww!_ " Gajeel yelps, rubbing at the side of his head where her book hit him. He sends her a nasty look, but Lucy ignores him, picking at her nails.

Beside her, Natsu chuckles, fingers brushing against her ankle lightly. They exchange a look, Natsu grinning, and Lucy finds herself smiling as well.

Levy isn't quite as amused. "Lucy!" she snaps, placing her hands on her hips as she rounds on the other girl, eyes narrowed. Lucy doesn't know if she's angry because of the tossed book or because of who it hit, but Levy clearly isn't as amused as the others are.

"He deserved it!" Lucy protests, pouting slightly as she burrows into the couch, put-off that Levy's taking Gajeel's side over hers. Levy doesn't even _like_ Gajeel. Well, that isn't entirely correct. Lucy's pretty sure there's some weird sexual chemistry thing going on, but she'd prefer not to think about that for as long as she can. She doesn't want to know anything about _that_.

Lisanna giggles and from across the room, Rogue looks up from the game of checkers he's playing—winning—against Sting. "Can we go one night without someone inflicting bodily harm on each other?" he asks them slowly, looking almost bored as he watches Gajeel rub the sore spot on his head, Lucy's book lying on the floor. "Please?"

They ignore him.

"Next time," Gajeel warns, narrowing his eyes as he points a long finger at Lucy, "I hit you back." Lucy snarls back at him, reaching behind her for a pillow and wondering how many times she'd have to bash him over the head for it to hurt." Gajeel's fingers curl, clearly telling her to have at it, and Lucy starts sliding her legs off Natsu's lap, preparing to launch herself at Gajeel.

Natsu's fingers loop around her ankle, holding her in place, and Lisanna claps her hands together, startling them all into silence and forcing Gajeel and Lucy to stop their pillow-fight before it can begin. "Okay!" Lisanna chirps, sending them all a sweet smile that promises poison if they keep fighting. "I think it's time for us to find something to do!" They all grumble, settling back into the furniture. "How about a movie?" Lisanna asks them.

Sting looks up from his game, pouting slightly because he's losing. "Good luck getting anyone to agree on anything," he calls to them, sour about losing to Rogue for what must be the fifth time in a row.

He's not wrong, of course. Lucy doubts they'd be able to settle on a movie anytime soon. More likely than not, they would spend more time bickering over what _not_ to watch than any time they would spend actually watching one of the movies. By that point, it would be two in the morning and they would have wasted most of their Friday night.

"We could play Monopoly!" Levy suggests, sending them all a wicked grin. Lucy has no doubt that the girl could wipe the board with them, and Lucy has zero interest in proving that theory. Monopoly is a horrible game that could very easily tear apart the new friendships they've all created. It would be hell and there would be blood.

Gray blanches, immediately shaking his head at the suggestion. "Yeah," he agrees, sarcasm oozing from the words, "if you want someone to die."

Levy pouts, but nods in understanding. Monopoly isn't something you play with friends, it's something you play with potential enemies, no mercy for anyone.

"Poker?" Gajeel asks them, eyes too bright and question too innocent. Natsu and Gray are already shaking their heads before anyone else can speak, an instant red flag. Lucy immediately knows he's a card shark. He could probably wipe the floor with all of them if he wanted to, but what he doesn't know is that Lucy has a mean poker face after years or boarding schools and bullshit propriety lessons.

But that's her little secret.

Instead of spilling Gajeel's secrets, Natsu clears his throat, sending his friend the slightest of glares. "We're broke," he reminds his cousin through clenched teeth, Natsu's jaw twitching in anger.

He must have lost _a lot_ the last time they played, if Lucy had to guess. Natsu's eyes suddenly lock with Lucy's, his gaze narrowing at her curiously, as if he knows what she's thinking. He flushes slightly, looking away from her, and she knows she's right.

"Strip poker!" Juvia blurs, slapping her hands down on the coffee table with an excited grin. Her gaze shifts to Gray, who's already half-undressed, and Lucy bites back a laugh, knowing that Juvia seems to have a soft spot for Mister tall, dark, and almost naked. Lucy can understand it. Gray's decently attractive, though a bit cold to people, something Lucy's had enough of in her life.

"I don't know you guys well enough to take my clothes off around you," Natsu says, biting back a laugh as he also notices where Juvia's gaze is directed. Lucy has to agree with him, she doesn't have any real issue with baring some skin, but she has no interest in letting anyone else see her panties so soon, not after Gajeel.

Levy hums in thought, tapping her chin as she crosses her legs beneath her, thinking hard about what they could possibly do. Lucy thinks they're perfectly fine doing what they are right now, bickering and just having a general conversation, but she wouldn't mind having something else to do either.

"Video games?" Levy suggests.

Gajeel's smile is feral as he turns to Levy, almost mocking. "I know," he tells her, voice several octaves higher than usual, his voice straining to mock Levy, "lets paint each others toenails and gossip about boys!" He claps his hands together, forcing a rough, awkward giggle from his mouth.

Levy isn't amused. She yanks Lucy's forgotten book from the floor and whacks Gajeel with it, making him yelp and snarl at her, the two bickering quietly. Lucy can't hear them, but judging by the hand-flailing and the way they keep glancing at each others lips, Lucy figures they're either going to punch each other or make out, neither of which she wants to see.

Gray groans, sinking back into the couch and wrinkling his nose, clearly unimpressed with the suggestions. "Why do we have to do anything?" he grumbles, practically pouting as he glances around the room, making a disgruntled face. He stretches out his legs, accidentally bumping Natsu, and the other male swats at him, clipping Gray's shoulder and making him hiss.

Before they can start fighting, Lucy decides to cut in. "Because it's a Friday night," she says, leaning over Natsu to look at Gray. The boy she's practically sitting on grumbles, Lucy using his shoulder to steady herself, but holds still for her. "And rumor has it this place knows how to party," she mock-whispers, half-joking, but gaining the attention of everyone regardless.

Natsu rolls his eyes down at her, but smiles as he tosses his arm across the back of the couch, his fingers barely grazing the side of her head when Lucy leans into the back of the couch. Honestly, she'd much rather stay curled up on the couch for the rest of the night, but she figures she should at least make an effort to meet people she isn't being forced to socialize with on a regular basis.

Happy jumps up into her lap, meowing in her face as he rubs his cheek against her chin. Lucy smiles, lifting a hand to pet him, and he purrs as he nuzzles her palm, leaning into her touch happily when she scratches his chin. Natsu scoffs, looking positively offended as his cat absolutely ignores him, and Lucy grins, feeling like she's won something. The large cat curls up on her lap, head resting against her stomach as he closes his eyes, purring sleepily. Natsu scoffs down at his pet, free hand reaching around to stroke down Happy's spine, fingertips grazing her thigh.

"We could go to the city?" Juvia tells them quietly, twiddling her thumbs and looking at the floor, slightly embarrassed as several pairs of eyes turn to look at her. She manages an awkward smile, gaze flicking between each of them as she waits for a response, expression growing more nervous with each passing second.

Levy considers it, but sighs, shaking her head slightly. "Isn't it a little late for that?" she asks, glancing at the clock on the wall to see it's nearing ten. "By the time we got down there, it would be too late to do anything but drink." She sighs, shrugging slightly, put-out.

Gajeel scoffs, sending Levy a salacious grin and quirking a brow at her, almost challenging. "You say that like it's a problem, Squirt," he teases her.

Lucy gags at the rampant sexual tension.

"No one wants to deal with your dumb plastered ass, Gajeel," Gray seethes, rolling his eyes at his friend. The male hides a smirk with his hand, obviously baiting Gajeel, who doesn't appear to notice the obvious jab meant to gain a reaction.

Personally, Lucy thinks it would be more than entertaining to see Gajeel in a drunken stupor, especially if it gave her blackmail to combat the bunny panties.

Gajeel snarls at him, actually leaping up from his chair, his cat Lily jumping up with a disgruntled hiss. "Why don't ya say that to my fucking face ya—"

Lisanna clears her throat suddenly, grinning much like the cat that got the cream as glances around at them, blue eyes bright with mischief. She crosses her legs beneath her, positively giddy, and clasps her hands in front of her. "We could go to a party," she says casually, shrugging slightly before looking down at her nails, hiding a smile and knowing she's gained everyone's rapt attention.

"What party?" Natsu asks, frowning, brow furrowing as he peers at the girl curiously. He exchanges a quick look with Lucy, who drums her fingers against Happy's back, making the cat purr and curl closer against her belly, his face hidden beneath his fluffy paws.

Shrugging, Lisanna continues to stare at her nails, pretending to ignore the excited titters from Levy and Juvia. Even Gray and Gajeel look interested, and that's saying something, considering that half the time they act like they don't know what emotions are. Across the room, Sting grins, practically bouncing in his seat, and Rogue groans, looking like he'd rather drown himself in the sink than go to a party with actual people. Natsu turns to Lucy, but she can't read the look in his eyes, something between imploring and curious.

"The one in my sisters dorm," Lisanna explains to them. "She set it up with her roommates." She glances up, peering at the clock and pursing her lips, humming to herself. "It starts at ten and there'll be alcohol," she tells them, wiggling her eyebrows suggestively.

Gray snorts, but shifts so that he's sitting at the edge of the couch. "Well, that means we have to go," he jokes, standing and stretching, his arms pulled high over his head. He groans, back popping, and his shirt rides up just the slightest. Lucy bites back a giggle when she sees Juvia's gaze immediately lock on the inch of new skin, positively love-struck.

Huffing, Lucy crosses her arms, annoyed. "Really, guys?" she complains, not wanting to be that stick in the mud, but knowing someone has to, considering everyone looks two seconds from bolting out the door. Natsu tries to stand, but she presses her heel into his thigh, keeping him in place. "You want to get drunk and stoned when you know we have a test Monday?"

Sting is the only one that appears to hear her, the blond sputtering and accidentally shoving the entire checkerboard off the table, much to Rogue's frustration. "We have a test Monday?" he practically shrieks, eyes wide and panicked. "It's been two weeks!"

She shrugs, allowing Natsu to slip out from under her, his hands warm against her bare calves as he lovers them back to the cushions. "Porla wants to make sure we aren't slacking," she explains, voice shrinking into something small at the mention of his name, Lucy wincing slightly. Class hasn't gotten any easier, he's been calling on her everyday in class, asking questions they won't cover for weeks and practically harassing her when she can't answer. Natsu's snapped back at him every time, leading to more dragon saddles and more bloody knuckles and more late nights waiting for him to come back so she can clean him up.

It's a vicious cycle.

Natsu suddenly snarls, his lips pulling back from his teeth as he glares at the door. "Porla can fuck himself," he sneers, expression softening when he glances down at her. Natsu sends her a crooked grin, holding out his hand and quirking a brow. "You comin'?" he murmurs, wiggling his fingers when she stares at his hand.

She shifts Happy off her lap, much to the cat's annoyance. He yowls, miffed, but settles into the pillow she places him on, curling up and falling asleep quickly. Lucy hesitates only a second before grasping his hand, grinning up at him. "Someone has to make sure you don't make a fool of yourself," she jokes, allowing him to hoist her up.

Natsu's smile only widens.

* * *

They split up almost immediately after entering the unfamiliar dorm room: Gajeel heads straight for the alcohol with a disgruntled Levy following behind him, squawking indignantly about how alcohol is bad for him and how he shouldn't consume so much and other things that Lucy doesn't bother to listen to as they disappear into the crowd; Gray and Juvia slip away into a quiet corner to chat, Gray searching the crowd for any other familiar faces; Sting immediately latches onto a group of pretty first years—male and female and everything in between—and he turns up the charm, leaning over a girl with long, dark hair who bats her eyes up at him; and Lisanna slips away as well, practically skipping up to a tall, brutish man that must be her brother Elfman.

Honestly, Lucy's kind of miffed that the girls all just decided to abandon her like that, but she figures she'll get over it. She thinks she's had enough of people fussing over her for one night. While Lisanna had gone all out with her pretty dress and short, wavy hair, Lucy opted for comfort over style—though, in her own opinion Lucy still thinks she looks pretty damn cute—with her messy bun and her too big blue sweater falling off her shoulder, her socks stretching up past her knees, dark blue and pattered with yellow stars. Her boots are old and worn, but still her favorite pair after so many years, and Lucy knows her feet won't be aching from wearing heels. It's not that she doesn't like dressing up sometimes, but it's not like she's looking to impress anyone tonight.

Though, she thinks she saw Sting checking out her ass in her shorts earlier, so she thinks she's good in that department.

Someone runs smack into Lucy, knocking her backwards, and she nearly tumbles to the floor before an arm loops around her waist, pulling her flush against a warm chest. Lucy knows it's Natsu without having to look and instead searches for the ass that ran into her. Disappearing into the crowd is a sleek head of blond hair a black and yellow polka dot bandana, and Lucy scowls, watching sourly as Jackal slips into the crowd.

She sneers, but doesn't go after him, not wanting to ruin her own night, and instead leans into Natsu's side. His fingers press into her waist, his gaze directed to where Jackal slipped off too, expression hard. Lucy bumps her shoulder against his and he immediately turns to her, glower turning into an easy smile.

Lucy smiles back, tapping her fingers against the back of his hand as he leads her further into the room, keeping her tucked against his side so they don't get separated. "Who decides to plan a back to school party two weeks into the semester?" she muses, mostly to herself, and Natsu shrugs, the motion jostling her slightly. She rocks unsteadily, slightly buzzed from the shots Lisanna made them take before leaving, something bitter and thick that Lucy never wants to try again.

"That'd be us!" an unfamiliar voice sings, giggling lightly. A new pair of people slide up to them, a pretty girl with shockingly white hair and a smile that could light up a city holding up an obviously smashed brunette that looks like she's been drinking since noon. The sober of the two grins down at them, blinking large blue eyes as she glances excitedly between the pair of them, gaze lingering on the arm Natsu has wrapped around Lucy's hips.

Maybe she isn't quite that sober, on second thought.

Natsu frowns at the two, watching in fascination as the drunk girl sways on her feet, humming a poor rendition of a popular song on the radio. Lucy shifts her gaze to the other one, brows furrowing in slight recognition. "You're Mira, right?" she asks, seeing the similarities right away. The hair and eyes are obvious. "Lisanna told us about you!"

Mirajane nods excitedly, bouncing slightly on her feet. The other girl moans, swatting at her friend hissing for her to hold still and knock it off. "That'd be me!" Mira chirps, nearly dropping her friend as she claps her hands together. "And this drunkard is Cana," she introduces, patting the brunette on the back.

"I'm not drunk, Mir!" Cana slurs, sounding very drunk. She props her fists on her hips, looking out of place in her long skirt and tight bikini top, given that's it's nearly mid-September and only getting colder outside. "I'm j _usssst_ a little tipsy is all."

Lucy smothers an amused giggle, biting her lip to keep from laughing. Natsu isn't quite as tactful, snickering loudly and gaining a glare from Cana.

"Yes," Mira replies, sarcasm thick as she stares down at Cana, unimpressed, "and I'm sure Kagura is going to love dealing with you later." Lucy doesn't understand the underlying threat there, but it makes Cana pout, a look of betrayal on her face.

Huffing, Cana crosses her arms, shifting away from Mira as if wounded. "That's harsh," she mumbles, wounded. Cana shakes her head and instead turns to Natsu and Lucy, the pair watching curiously as Mira and Cana bicker slightly, clearly good friends. "Anyway," Cana starts, flipping her hair, "the reason the party is two weeks in, is because our other lovely roommate, Erza is a bit of a fucking—"

"She's a bit strict!" Mira cuts her off, shooting Cana a warning glance.

"—and this weekend is the first where she's off with her—" she waves her hands in the air, awkwardly searching for the correct term. "Shat the fuck is Jellal anyway?" she gripes. "Her not boyfriend? I guess? Anyway, she's gone and we're unsupervised and that means party time!" Cana explains, nodding slightly at her confusing explanation.

Neither of them respond, unsure what to say, and Mira sighs, shaking her head as she loops her arm through Cana's patting the girl on the arm before starting to back away, giving them a little wink. "Enjoy yourselves!" she tells them, waving slightly. "Hopefully we'll be seeing more of each other later!"

Cana suddenly yanks something small and shiny out of her cleavage, much to Lucy's confusion. She lunges forward, yanking Lucy's loose sweater down to reveal more of her chest, and shoves a foil package between her breasts, Lucy reddening when she realizes what it is. Natsu sputters beside her, fingers pressing against her waist. "Don't have too much fun kids," Cana warns them, giving a big dopey grin and sending them a thumbs up.

"Cana!"

Mira pulls the drunk girl away from them, leaving a stunned Natsu and Lucy behind as they disappear into the crowd. Lucy blinks rapidly, lips parted slightly in bewilderment unable to process what just happened. She glances up at an equally baffled Natsu, who turns to stare down at her, eyes wide and confused. "Did she just offer us condoms?" Lucy asks him, a flush settling over her skin at the implication.

Natsu nods slowly, and the arm curled around her waist suddenly becomes far more noticeable that before. His fingers press into her side, and maybe it's the alcohol or maybe it's because he looks dangerously attractive in the low lighting, but Lucy finds herself leaning into his side. He wets his lips, swallowing thickly as his gaze locks with hers. "I think she did," Natsu murmurs back, Lucy barely able to hear him over the thrumming music, so loud she's afraid it might rattle the building right into the ocean below.

"Well then…" she trails off, tongue thick in her mouth, Lucy unsure what to say. The foil package settles between her breasts, and she can feel Natsu's eyes on her chest, though she knows he's trying not to stare. His hand burns against her hip, and she isn't sure if it's his magic or if he's just naturally hot, but Lucy finds herself enjoying the way he grips at her skin, grasping at her curves.

His head dips down, lips skimming her ear slightly, breath warm against her neck. She shivers, arching into him, and his fingers squeeze around her, Natsu pulling her tighter against his side until Lucy can feel every inch of him pressed against her. "Better safe than sorry," he breathes against her ear, something thick and low in his voice, nearly a growl. His hot breath fans over her throat, her gut clenching in anticipation.

She locks eyes with him, seeing the mirth in his gaze, and realizes he's screwing with her. "Natsu!" she huffs, swatting at him with a giggle. He laughs along with her, tucking her against him until she curls her arms around him as well.

"I'm kidding!" he promises, reaching out to boop her nose, making her laugh again. Slowly, he urges her to follow him, glancing around the room to see if there's somewhere to talk, frowning when he notices how crowded the room is and how loud everyone is being. "Come with me?" he asks, looking down at her with hopeful eyes.

Lucy nods, his hand warm against her back as he leads her away.

* * *

They wind up out on the balcony of one of the bedrooms, the room scattered with empty beer bottles and decorated with messy lights and beads dangling from the ceiling, comfortable and lived in and Lucy guesses it's Cana's, figuring the older girl won't mind them being here, given her earlier encouragement for them to have at each other.

Lucy sighs, head tilting up to peer up at the stars, her eyes wide as she traces the constellations, legs swinging over the balcony railing. Natsu hovers in front of her, hips nestled between her bent knees and his hands on her thighs, gripping tightly to make sure she doesn't fall. Besides, the balcony is small, barely large enough for the two of them to stand there without being pressed against each other slightly. Not that Lucy minds. His heat is appreciated, what with the night growing steadily colder.

Though it's only mid-September, the Southern tip of Ishgar is always chilly this time of year, something Lucy both enjoys and despises. While she doesn't enjoy feeling boiled alive, she doesn't much like freezing to death either. Natsu, however, doesn't seem to mind the weather as he hovers in front of her, fingers tracing patterns across her bare thighs.

He sighs, leaning into her, the two of them lapsing into silence. One of his hands leaves her leg to slip through his hair, Natsu ruffling the dyed strands and yawning, Lucy knowing it must be near one in the morning by this point. A black smudge on his wrist catches her attention, Lucy immediately locking onto the ink staining his skin, fascinated by the way it stands out, both bold and delicate at the same time. She still hasn't gotten a good look at it, and that frustrates her to no end.

"So what's your tattoo?" she asks him, swinging her legs, covered toes sliding against the side of his leg. She'd tossed her boots to the ground before hoping onto the ledge, not minding walking around in her socks. Lucy squints at the black mark, trying to red it, but it's too dark and his arm isn't angled for her to see it.

Natsu blinks back at her, surprised, and removes his hand from his hair, green eyes glinting in the low lighting as he hands her his wrist. Lucy cradles him in her hand, flipping his arm gently, and he smiles down at her, thumb stroking against her skin. "I got it for my eighteenth birthday," he tells her, watching as she traces his tattoo with a finger, ghosting the ink.

"Sevens?" she asks, curious. Lucy drags her thumb along the Roman Numerals, tracing the sharp lines. There are three of them, sevens, that is, each with a cursive, swirled "V", the "I"'s bold and printed neatly, a dividing, vertical line separates each seven. A date, Lucy thinks, but she can't be sure.

He grins, shivering as she traces the first v, touch teasing. "It's the date I was adopted by my dad," he tells her softly, Lucy glancing up at him in surprise, her eyes widening slightly. "July seventh." Natsu smiles down at his wrist fondly, allowing Lucy to touch the raised ink on his wrist. He relaxes into her touch easily. "It's my favorite," he admits.

She blinks up at him, surprised. "You have more?" she asks, confused. She's sure she would have seen them before, given how lax he is about staying fully clothed, Natsu walking around without a shirt on more often than not. Though, Lucy supposes she hasn't been looking too hard for them, focused on keeping her gaze directed towards family friendly areas and not letting them wander.

"A few," he murmurs, Lucy's hand slipping from his wrist to play with his long fingers, sober but tired. "I could show you sometime," Natsu muses, calloused thumb dragging across her knuckles, "if you'd like." He meets her gaze, almost hopeful as he stares at her, a bit nervous, but steadfast in his question. He swallows, and Lucy watches his throat bob with the motion.

Slowly, Lucy nods, lips twisting into a pretty smile as she peers up at him, brown eyes dark and alluring in the low lighting. "I'd like that," she murmurs over the sound of the bass down below, Cana's bedroom door cracked open, the noise from the party spilling into the air around them. Lucy simply ignores it, comfortable in the cool air with Natsu's heat curling around her, his breath on her lips, he's so close.

Natsu squeezes her thigh, her fingers still playing with his. "What about you?" he asks her, a teasing glint in his eyes. "Have any ink?" Natsu raises a brow at her, curious and a bit playful as he assumes she doesn't.

Honestly, she shouldn't, but that never did stop her from doing anything before.

Lucy grins up at him, biting her bottom lip gently, worrying it between her teeth as she considers telling the truth or not. "Maybe," she settles on, shrugging and sending him a coy look.

His eyes widen in disbelief, fingers squeezing around her thigh just a tad tighter than before. "No way," he responds, a slight growl to his words. Something in his eyes brightens, his curiosity palpable.

"Yes," she says, giggling. "My cousin took me to get it," Lucy tells him, resisting the urge to pres her hand against her ribs where the flowers are. "I was sixteen, and my dad didn't know." It was a going away present from Laxus though she didn't know it at the time. He brought her to his friend one night, a kind older woman that did the did the tribal designs on his shoulder and chest, and when the lady asked where Lucy wanted it, she pointed to her ribs, knowing it was the one place her father would never see.

It hurt like a bitch, of course, but it was worth it. She loves the flowers curling up her side, small and delicate, the beauty in the pain.

Natsu narrows his eyes at her, pursing his lips. "Prove it," he challenges, disbelief clear in his eyes. She watches his gaze slowly wind down her body, as if he could sniff out the ink. His fingers drum against the outside of her thigh and Natsu tangles their fingers together, smiling down at her.

Her lips part at the challenge, gaze sharpening as she locks eyes with Natsu. Lucy leans in slowly, her free hand curling around the back of his neck as she drags him down close to her, lips brushing against his ear as she speaks. "I would," she tells him, hearing him swallow as she teases his ear, cool piercing pressing against her lip—he has five of them, three silver studs and a cuff in his right and a bar through his left— "but you'd only see it if I was naked," Lucy breathes against him.

She giggles and he groans, sending her a glare with no heat to the look. "You're teasing me aren't you?" he jokes, hand sliding from her thigh to her waist and tickling her, making Lucy shriek with laughter. She swats at him, nearly slipping backwards, and Natsu lunges forward to wrap his arm around her back, pressing her flush against him. She gasps, clinging to his shoulder, and he stares down at her, terrified. "You okay?" he mumbles in a rush, hand hot against her spine and his chest crushed against his, her hand gripping his tightly.

Their breaths mingle, Natsu looking down at her, green eyes wide as they lock with hers. He wets his lips, swallowing and his fingers press against her spine, drawing a shiver from her.

"Yeah," she tells him, giggling nervously, her heart racing as she realizes how far she could have fallen. "Yeah, I'm fine," Lucy promises, hand sliding down to grip at his bicep, her knuckles white as she clutches at him. Natsu's hand slides up until his palm is nestled between her shoulder blades, keeping her upright as she quivers. The wind howls around them, Lucy's fingers automatically tightening around his, and Natsu shifts forward, pressing tighter against her.

He clears his throat, fingers flexing against her back. She knows he wants to run his hands through his hair, a nervous tick, but he doesn't dare let her go. Honestly, Lucy's relieved. She feels boneless, her legs shaky, and she thinks that if he lets her go she'll tumble right over the balcony and fall the hundreds of feet to the ground, no one there to catch her.

"Good," he whispers back, laughing slightly as he leans forward, pressing his temple against hers as he breathes a relieved sigh. She's finding that he has no sense of personal space, but she's also finding that she simply doesn't give a damn. He's an easy person to like, greeting others with open arms and taking them in. They've barely known each other for two weeks, but she feels like it's been years. "Sorry," Natsu mouths against her hair, giving her a quick squeeze before pulling back.

His palm slides up her neck until he's cradling her jaw, sharp eyes checking her over, making sure she's okay, and Lucy grasps his hands in hers, holding herself steady as she looks down at his knuckles. The bandages on his hands are tinged a brownish-red color, spotting mostly, but still worrisome. "How are your hands?" she asks him, thumbs brushing over his bruised and split knuckles.

He winces, grunting, but doesn't pull away, only grips her fingers tighter, holding her in place when she starts to release him. "They're fine," he murmurs, unconvincing, and stares down at his damaged hands, Lucy soothing the ache beneath his skin with feather light touches, barely a caress. He shivers when her fingertips glide over the backs of his hands.

She clucks her tongue, lips pressing into a tight line. "Natsu.." she trails off, not knowing what to say. They aren't fine, she knows. They haven't been fine for days, because Jose thinks making him bleed will make him compliant. It hasn't worked yet, and she knows it's only going to get worse for Natsu because of it. Jose doesn't like a strong will, and Natsu is plenty strong.

"Lucy, they're fine," he promises, forcing a smile for her, trying to chase away the guilt eating at her heart, her stomach twisting in shame every time she sees his raw skin. "They don't hurt," he tells her softly, squeezing her fingers as he leans closer to her, enough for her to feel his breath mingling with hers, fog rising into the air between them, the night growing cold.

Snorting, Lucy shakes her head. "Liar," she calls him, narrowing her eyes at the bandages, practically baring her teeth at them.

"This is criminal," she tells him, tapping his fingers pointedly. Hopefully, Makarov will be able to do something, anything so that Natsu isn't getting hurt anymore. Maybe the pain doesn't bother him, but it makes her sick to think about him being hurt for sticking up for her, for helping her. It's not right to punish someone for that.

She's about to tell him this, but freezes, suddenly feeling like she's being watched. Lucy frowns, glancing over his shoulder to look at Cana's room. It's as empty as it was before, nothing out of place, and there's no one out on the other balconies either. She shakes away the feeling, figuring it must be nothing, just the night and the alcohol getting to her.

The vodka Cana shoved into their hands only a minutes ago must finally be kicking in, she gets paranoid when she's tipsy.

"Maybe," Natsu mumbles his agreement, shrugging slightly. He looks at her like he wants to kiss her, but they're both a little drunk and both a little emotional, and Lucy knows that right now that wouldn't be fair to either of them. He seems to know it too.

Lucy sighs, squeezing his hands gently, trying to smile for him, though she knows it doesn't quite reach her eyes. "I'm sorry," she whispers, wetting her lips before taking her lip between her teeth, biting it roughly. "If you hadn't stuck up for me—"

He shakes his head, leaning in to nose at her until she giggles, his breath tickling her. "Hey," he coos, lips moving against her ear. "He's a bully that harasses pretty girls to make himself feel better," Natsu reminds her, a low growl to his stern voice, Natsu's expression hard when he pulls back to look at her. "He's the problem, not you."

Lucy nods, considering this, and slowly raises their joint hands to her lips, ghosting a kiss across his bloody knuckles. Natsu stares back at her in surprise, but the corner of his mouth twitches up in a smile. "Did you just kiss it better?" he asks, voice rough.

She shivers, but nods, smiling up at him, thumbs rubbing against his hands. "My mom used to do that all the time," she tells him, huffing a laugh. It's ridiculous, she knows, but she can only hope it helped, if only a little. "She swore it worked."

Natsu wets his lips, gaze slipping to rest against her collarbone, expression grim. "Porla mentioned her," he mumbles, shifting awkwardly, but not pulling away from her. Lucy stiffens, knowing what he's going to ask, and winces, fingers squeezing around his. "Is she…" he trails off, unable to finish, and for that she's grateful.

Lucy nods. "She died when I was young." Sighing, she swings their hands between them, her sock-clad toes brushing against his claves through his pants. "She was off researching, looking for the last of the Ironbellies." There's an apology in his eyes, but he doesn't speak it, and she's glad. Her mother died doing what she loved. He job was always her pride.

Natsu starts to say something, but he's cut off by the sound of a door slamming open, the music cutting off abruptly, followed by a horrible scream and the sound of yelling.

* * *

 **AN: This is going to be one of those fics where I keep adding chapters to my outline, I can feel it. Erza was supposed to show up at the end, but that scene which would be about ~1K would probably expand to like 3K and nah lmao. Next chapter picks up where this left off, but from Natsu's pov!**

 **Also, if updates are spotty for a bit, it's because I found out someone was plagiarizing this fic (they said they weren't, but the title/summary/concept/and first chapter are too similar to be coincidence). I'm upset and kind of hurt, and idk how easy writing this will be for a bit.**

 **Thank you to everyone who reviewed! I love you all and hopefully the next chapter will be up next week :D**

 **Got a favorite scene? Line? Let me know in a review! I'll be getting back on track with sending out previews this week, things have just been hectic lately! And please be sure to drop a review if you like the chapter, after my brief hiatus (not that to weeks is much of a hiatus lmao) reviews and views alike have dropped quite a bit! Sorry for the wait before, but hey, I'm only human, yeah?**


	7. Chapter 7

**AN: Be sure to drop a review when you're done! Enjoy!**

* * *

 **Igniparous**

 **Chapter Seven**

Lucy startles at the crash from downstairs, the room rattling with the force of the slam, and nearly tips backwards off the balcony once more. Her eyes widen, a surprised sound leaving her as her hands slip from his, but Natsu reacts quickly, catching her by the wrist and hauling her forward. She slips off the railing, feet making a quiet sound when she lands on the stone floor, and she tumbles into him, fingers curling around his waist as he wraps an arm around her back, keeping her upright.

The top of her head cracks against his chin and Natsu swears, grip tightening around her as he nearly falls as well, barely catching himself on the stone wall behind him. Lucy yelps as they crash into each other, fingers curling against his sides. Her nails bite at his skin through his shirt, but he pays it no mind as he holds Lucy against him, confusion swirling through him as he hears what's going on outside the room.

There's another scream and the sound of shattering glass, a roar that makes his skin crawl, and Natsu pulls Lucy just a bit tighter to his chest, unsure what's happening, but not wanting either of them to get hurt. The floor shakes beneath them, and Lucy hesitantly meets his eyes, bright eyes alight with confusion as she glances behind him at the door, cracked open just the slightest.

Natsu swallows, wetting his lips, and casts a look over his shoulder, frowning as he squints at the hallway, unable to see down into the main area. "What the fuck was that?" he murmurs, more to himself than Lucy. His hand fists in the back of her sweater as she straightens, Natsu pulling her a bit closer as another slam sounds from downstairs.

"I don't know," Lucy whispers back, edging out of his grip slowly before stooping to grab her boots. She holds them in front of her almost defensively, looking ready to beat someone with them if she needs to. Natsu would laugh at that, if he didn't think she could kill a man with them if she really wanted to. Besides, she has something to defend herself with at the very least. Natsu's got a whole lot of nothing in that department.

His fists are fine and all, but judging by the screaming going on downstairs, it's either a really terrifying orgy going on, or they've got a party crasher, and Natsu thinks the later could have been handled already. And if it's the former, well, Natsu's sure he can find some bleach to pour in his eyes somewhere in this place.

He shakes his head, frowning as Lucy slips around him, peering curiously at the door. "Dragon, maybe?" he suggests, biting his lip as Lucy slips around him, cautiously edging towards the door. He wouldn't doubt a mishap with dragons being possible, given how hard they are to control, but he would think the school would be better prepared for them, considering how long its history is.

Natsu's only a step behind her as she heads for the door, unwilling to let her go alone. He may not have known her for long, but he can tell Lucy's a good person. They clicked easily, becoming fast friends after only two weeks, and Natsu couldn't be more happy about it. Lucy's honestly one of the most interesting people he's met, funny and a tad mysterious, something he'd be lying if he said he wasn't drawn to.

Besides, Igneel taught him better than to let anyone go alone.

Fingers curl through his, Lucy gently tugging him forward, her lip caught between her teeth as she slowly pulls them towards the door. "Come on," she murmurs, just loud enough for him to hear. Lucy hesitates halfway across the room, and Natsu becomes all too aware of the shouting downstairs, more angry than anything else.

Not dragons, than. And he can probably cross orgy of the list as well.

Lucy glances over her shoulder at him, eyes flashing nervously, but he only sends her a smile and squeezes her fingers, silently promising that nothing will happen to her, not if he can help it. Natsu may be tipsy, but he's not drunk enough to let her go off on her own, not when they have no idea what could be downstairs.

Lucy smiles in return, but it's tight, not all there, and he takes a step closer to her, wrapping his arm around her back and stepping up to her side, pulling her close. She sends him an almost grateful look, shoulders losing some of their tension when he slides in closer.

Taking a deep breath, she reaches for the door with her free hand, shoes held at the ready. Her fingers skim the doorknob, Natsu gently squeezing her waist. She's takes a deep breath, moving to grab it—

The door flies open, banging roughly against the wall, and Lucy shrieks as someone barrels into the room, lashing out with her shoes as Natsu jerks her backwards against him, both arms wrapping around her. Their legs tangle, Natsu tripping and accidentally dragging Lucy down with him. She knocks the wind out of him, an elbow slamming into his gut, but he only grunts and drags her back against him, both of them scrambling to stand.

The door is slammed shut, then locked with a loud click, and Natsu feels his blood run cold for a moment, a spike of fear clouding his tipsy mind. He tries to stand, but Lucy has his leg pinned, one of her own caught beneath his. Their a tangled mess and the stranger only shifts closer, muttering to themselves in a panic.

Reacting quickly, Lucy tosses her shoes, nailing the other person in the stomach and making them yelp in surprise. They fumble for the lights, smacking them on quickly, and Natsu winces as he's suddenly blinded by the light. He squints up at them, shoulders losing some of their tension when he recognizes the person standing there.

"Holy fuck!" Natsu snarls, groaning as drops back onto the floor, covering his eyes with an arm and swearing under his breath, ignoring the terrified brunette trying to bar her door, uselessly shoving things in front of it. It's a safety hazard more than anything, but Natsu decides not to mention that.

On his lap, Lucy shifts, sitting up, though not getting off him. Natsu sighs and presses up on his elbows, glancing around Lucy to see someone vaguely familiar leaning with her back against the door, dark eyes wide and panicked as she glances around rapidly, looking for something to use as a weapon.

"Cana?" Lucy murmurs, slowly shifting her leg out from under his. She shifts, moving slowly so as not to startle the other girl, and quietly rises to her feet. Hesitating slightly, Lucy reaches down, groping for his hand blindly, not daring to look away from the drunk almost-stranger. "Cana, what the hell is going—"

Cana levels them with a nasty look that makes Lucy wince and Natsu catches her fingers in his, slowly rising beside her, keeping Lucy's fingers locked with his. "Shh," Cana hisses, frantically shaking her head as she leans back against the door, turning to press her ear against it. "Shut up," she slurs, "just— _shh_."

Natsu and Lucy exchange a confused look. She looks up at him imploringly, but he only shrugs, knowing just as much as she does about the situation. Lucy sighs after a moment, shaking her head and sighing. "Cana," she coos to the drunk girl, holding her hands out in a nonthreatening way, "what happened?" Lucy takes a step forward, gently reaching out for the other girl, who glares.

He stays a step behind her, ready to pull her away if Cana begins to react violently. While the girl seems more of the funny drunk type, he isn't willing to risk it.

Slowly, Cana wets her lips, eyes darting around the room frantically. "It's Erza," she stage whispers, as if someone might be able to hear them over the chaos happening downstairs. While the horrified screams have stopped, the shouts and bang have not, leaving Natsu to wonder just what the heck is happening downstairs, because whatever it is, it doesn't sound good.

They exchange another baffled look.

"Erza?" Natsu repeats, confused. He remembers Cana and Mira briefly mentioning her earlier in the night. They called her a hardass that doesn't like parties—at least, that's what Natsu got out of it. They also said she was gone for the night, but clearly that didn't happen, so he's not sure what to believe. He also finds it hard to believe that one person could send an entire room full of people into a panic like that. She's just one person, not an entire army.

Cana sends them an absolutely piercing look, nodding frantically, her gestures wild and uncoordinated, the girl clearly drunk off her ass. Natsu figures he should trust her word about as far as he could throw her—not that he couldn't throw her a ways if he wanted to. He's just not in the habit of tossing around drunk people unless it's Gray and Gajeel.

"Yes, Erza," Cana tells them, groaning and muttering something under her breath that Natsu doesn't catch. She whirls around suddenly, kicking furiously at the door. A loud bang splits the air, Lucy flinching slightly at the sound. Natsu squeezes her fingers, suddenly aware that they've been holding hands for a while now, but shrugs it off, not seeing anything wrong with that.

Though that might be the alcohol talking. He can't be sure.

Cana moans sadly, slumping onto the floor, then swears loudly as she grabs her injured foot, pouting as she cradles her leg close to her. She sniffles, then slips sideways so that she's lying on her side, pouting at the wall and looking like the most miserable person he's ever seen.

Sighing, Lucy shakes her head, a small, amused smile on her lips. "As in your roommate Erza?" she asks, just to make sure. He doesn't blame her. As far as the two of them knew, this Erza person wasn't even supposed to be here tonight.

Natsu can only think of two reasons for Erza to be here now, rather than off spending the night with her not-boyfriend, or whatever they called him. Either they broke up—or whatever the not-dating equivalent of that is, if there is one—or Erza brought him back to get laid. Now, he has no idea which of those would be more likely to send her into an anger fueled rage, but Natsu would be pretty pissed if he was trying to get some and found a horde of drunk young adults in his room.

Though, that's never stopped people before, so he doesn't know what the problem is.

Cana glares at Lucy, sniffling slightly. "Do you know of another Erza?" she snaps, glaring furiously.

Lucy holds her hands up in surrender, releasing Natsu's hand and choosing instead to lean back against him, her back pressed against his chest. Natsu tosses his arm around her shoulders in response, liking the close contact. "Okay, Sassy," Lucy snips back, crossing her arms and narrowing her eyes. "So, Erza's here," she repeats, shrugging. "What's the problem?"

Cana looks at Lucy in disbelief, a look that screams "you fool!" on her face. She shakes her head slowly, terrified. "She's going to kill me," Cana murmurs, curling tighter against the floor and wrapping her arms around her knees, whimpering pathetically as she pouts.

Lucy leans further against him, letting more of her weight rest against his chest, trusting him to hold her up. She sighs, shaking her head once more and rubbing her temple, clearly exhausted with the conversation already. "I doubt she's going to kill you," she tells Cana, trying to send the girl an encouraging smile.

There's a horrific bang from downstairs, and then a raging bellow of Cana's name that makes all three of them stiffen.

Natsu wets his lips, curling his arm tighter around Lucy and drumming his fingers against her arm. "Nah, Luce," he drawls, sending her a tight smile when she looks up at him, "I think she's gonna kill her." Lucy sends him a nasty look and Cana wails, burying her face against her long skirts, a strange gurgling sound coming from the downed girl.

The glare Lucy sends him makes him wince, but he only grins back at her, recognizing the slight smile on her lips, Lucy shaking her head as she bites back a smile.

"I'm too young to die," Cana sobs.

Lucy simply shakes her head, mumbling something Natsu doesn't catch before scooping up her boots and tucking them close to her chest. She squirms out of his grip once more, but only takes a step before reaching out to him, fingers wiggling as she urges him to grab her hand. When he does, Lucy sends him a brilliant smile, gently tugging him forward as she mumbles a goodbye to a cackling Cana, who seems too drunk to care about her impending demise, unlike just a moment earlier.

Drunks, he decides, are not to be trusted.

Lucy slips them out the door easily, Natsu closing it behind them as they both look down at the chaos surrounding them. The room is a mess, whether from the partygoers or Erza, he has no idea. Shaking her head, Lucy sighs and leads him towards the stairs, casting a long look around the room and wincing at the destruction.

The dorm is mostly deserted now, nothing like when they came in, and Natsu squints as he sees Mira arguing with a tall redhead, a clearly flustered man with dyed blue hair and what looks like a tattoo on his hovering just behind her. Natsu wrinkles his nose, not wanting to get involved in what might be a catfight, and gently leads Lucy towards the door, hoping that maybe the angry redhead might not notice them.

"You two!" someone barks, voice thundering across the walls. "Come here!"

She notices them.

Fuck.

Lucy stiffens beside him, fingers tightening around his, and Natsu wiggles out of her grasp to toss an arm around her shoulders, sending her a reassuring smile as they change course, heading right for the furious and very, _very_ intimidating woman. Natsu would swear on his life that there's literal smoke rolling off her shoulders.

Though, he thinks the murderous look on her face would be more threatening if her lipstick wasn't smudged and her shirt wasn't hanging halfway open. Her not-boyfriend doesn't look much better, with red lip-shaped marks dotting his face and neck, his shirt haphazardly ripped open—Natsu's pretty sure he sees a few buttons missing—and his belt clearly undone.

Yeah, Natsu doesn't think they have to worry about breaking up anytime soon.

"Hi," Lucy greets them politely, her smile a tad too forced as she slides up to the bickering trio. Mira sends her a smile that's too bright and the guy—Gerard? Jellal?—nods at them, blushing slightly as he fiddles with his shirt collar. The redhead only glares, tapping her foot impatiently. "You must be Erza! I'm Lucy and this is Natsu," she introduces.

Natsu peers around them, looking at the couch. His eyes widen a fraction when he sees a very disgruntle, very almost naked Gajeel and Levy sitting on the couch, embarrassment coloring their cheeks. Natsu quirks a brow, blinking at them, and Levy hides her face in her hands, still mostly dressed, though her jacket is missing. Gajeel, on the other hand, is stripped down to his boxers and looks at Natsu like he wants to kill someone.

He asks Gajeel a silent question with his eyes, wondering what the hell happened, and Gajeel mouths something that looks like "wrong bedroom."

It takes him a moment to understand, but when he does, Natsu isn't sure if he should cringe or laugh at his cousin's misfortune.

"Hello," Erza responds, a formal, harsh edge to her words. She glares down at them, never mind that she's several inches shorter than Natsu, and sends them a stiff smile that promises pain. "I was wondering if you could tell me where Cana is?" Erza's smile turns wicked, red lips pulled into a sneer. "She seems to be hiding from me."

Snorting to himself, Natsu manages a rueful grin as he tugs Lucy closer to his side, not sure if this woman is going to bash them over the head or not. "I can't imagine why," he comments, wincing slightly as it slips out, sarcasm dripping from his tongue as he scoffs.

Lucy freezes against him, sending him a horrified look, and he strokes the bare skin of her shoulder with his thumb, more to calm himself than her. From behind Erza, Gajeel shakes his head frantically, mouthing something Natsu doesn't think he wants to know, and Jellal winces while Mira bites back a giggle.

Erza blinks at Natsu, stunned for a moment. "Excuse me?" she hisses at him, dark eyes narrowing dangerously. Natsu thinks she's the type of person who could easily snap him in half, and he really has no interest in having that happen.

"Nothing!" he says hurriedly, shaking his head and cringing under her harsh gaze. "You're just very…" he trails off, floundering for the right word, and nearly chokes as Lucy elbows him in the gut, sending him a frantic look. "Charming?" he decides with a tight smile, hoping it's a decent word.

It's not, he can tell by the way Levy slaps her forehead and Mira gasps, covering her mouth in surprise. Beside him, Lucy barely smothers a groan. Erza looks like she's just swallowed a lemon, her eyes filled with murderous intent.

"Natsu," she hisses, sending him an uneasy grin, "you should probably stop talking," she tells him, reaching up and squeezing the hand on her shoulder, nails slightly digging into his skin, not enough to hurt, but certainly for him to feel it.

Jellal nods sharply, smiling at them tensely. "I'm going to have to agree with your lady friend there," he says to Natsu, jerking his head to the door, clearly gesturing for them to get the hell out before Erza flips her shit and kills them all. Natsu thinks she would do it to. She has a mean look in her eyes that he doesn't like.

Erza glares at him, crossing her arms tightly over her chest, and Natsu suddenly takes notice of gauntlets on her hands. Literal gauntlets. As in, it's gonna fucking hurt if she decides to punch him gauntlets. And she looks like she really wants to punch him right now. Her glares sharpens, dark eyes staring into his soul, and Natsu thinks that if he wasn't so batshit he'd probably piss himself. "Are you being sarcastic with me?" Erza asks his, practically hissing.

"No, not at all," Natsu says sarcastically, the alcohol from earlier loosening his tongue. He realizes his mistake a moment later, Erza looking two seconds away from murdering him violently and leaving his for the dragons to eat. Alcohol, he decides, makes him fucking stupid and he probably shouldn't ever drink again. In a blind panic, he yanks Lucy tight against his side, crushing her against him and dropping his lips to her ear, not missing the way she shivers against him. "Lucy, help me!" he begs.

Lucy looks at him, panicked, and cringes when Erza takes a step towards them. Natsu almost feels bad about using Lucy as a shield. Almost. But he's almost positive that Erza wouldn't hit Lucy for no reason. Hopefully.

"Cana's up in her room," Lucy blurts, gesturing towards the stairs as she slowly takes a step backwards, pulling Natsu along with her. Erza starts to follow them, heedless of Jellal's calls for her to just let it go. "I'm sorry," Lucy continues, sending Erza a pleasant smile as she urges Natsu to move faster, nails biting into his skin, "but we really need to be going!"

With that, Natsu yanks Lucy around and bolts for the door, scrambling to open it as Erza stomps after them.

"Come back here this instant, you two!" she snaps, advancing on them in a way that's almost predatory. Jellal and Mira try to hold her back, frantically waving their arms to get the fleeing pair to hurry, but Natsu can't seem to get the door open, it won't open when he pulls at it and he's suddenly terrified that it's locked and they're both trapped inside with who Natsu could only describe at the devil.

Suddenly, Lucy smacks his hand out of the way, sending him an annoyed, but amused look as she pushes the door open, making him feel incredibly stupid for not doing that earlier. Lucy merely grabs his hand, giggling as she pulls him from the room.

"It was nice meeting you!" she calls over her shoulder, fingers wound tight with his as she drags him out the door.

Natsu flashes Erza a grin, giving her a sloppy, two-fingered salute. "Later!"

* * *

They wind up somewhere he's never been before, somewhere they never showed him on the tour, and not for the first time he wonders how Lucy finds these places. The garden could have been an accident, just like him, but she seemed perfectly at ease there, not lost at all, and she'd disappeared back into the trees like she belonged there. It's like she knows the castle inside and out, which is ridiculous, considering they've only been there two weeks, and he's hardly ever seen her alone. She's always with him or the girls, studying or in class.

There was no time for her to find this place.

Lucy pulls him inside a glass room, windows on all sides: a greenhouse. The air is sweltering when they step inside, so humid that Lucy immediately strips off her sweater and drops it to the floor, leaving her boots on top. He shakes his head, not understanding her aversion to shoes, but deciding not to ask.

His gaze sweeps around the room as she leads him down stone steps, Lucy leading him backwards and towards a long fountain, more of a pond than anything else, a large circle of water at the base of the steps, and a thinner, rectangular strip stretching down the center of the room. Flowers surround them on all sides, sweet-smelling and bright, a thousand shades of color that he's never seen before.

She giggles as she leads him through the plants, her eyes bright and joyful. The glow of the moon shines through the glass ceiling, the only thing illuminating the room, and it catches her hair, making her look like starlight. Natsu grins back at her, fingers tangling with hers as he allows her to walk him through the room. He glances between Lucy and the flowers, not knowing in that moment which is more beautiful.

He recognizes a few of the flowers: roses lining the walls, towering larkspur intermixed, something Natsu knows to be toxic to humans. Most are unfamiliar to him, Natsu never spending much time researching plants, not when there were other things for him to do. He almost wishes he'd spent more time looking at them, feeling like he's missed something all this time.

He really is drunk, he supposes, if he's wishing he'd spent more time staring at flowers as a child. They're pretty, he's willing to admit, but nothing special. Besides, he's always been more fascinated with gold, like the way it flickers in the light, almost like fire.

Sighing to himself, he stares at Lucy for a long moment, deciding that she looks a bit like fire too, between her hair and eyes. They glow when they catch the sunlight.

She plays with his fingers, humming something under her breath, soft and sweet, a lullaby. He doesn't recognize the melody, but finds himself not caring, simply enjoying the sweet sound of her voice as they walk around the greenhouse.

"How'd you find this place?" he asks her eventually, when they're sitting with their backs pressed against a stone wall, enjoying the silence and the smell of flowers surrounding them, peaceful, despite the nagging feeling in the back of his mind that they're being watched. He shakes his head, stretching out his legs, and Lucy stops weaving jasmine blossoms through her hair, blinking up at him slowly as she lowers her hands into her lap, leaving the white crown woven around her bun.

She smiles up at him, curling her legs towards her chest and staring at the ceiling, looking at the moon and stars through the glass. They're basked in a silver glow, a soft light blanketing them in a way that's almost comforting. "I got here earlier than most," she explains softly, tracing the constellations with her eyes. "I explored."

Natsu shifts, turning to face her better, ignoring the way the stones scrape at his skin through his shirt. "Why'd you get here so early?" He keeps his voice low not wanting to pry into information she doesn't want to give, but wanting to know more about her. Now is a better time to ask than any other, they're alone here, no prying eyes or ears. Her secrets would be safe.

Sighing, Lucy doesn't turn away from the stars as she drops her head o rest against his shoulder, her hair tickling his neck and the sweet smell of jasmines soothing him, Natsu relaxing against her. "I didn't have anywhere else to go," she whispers back to him, a quiver to her words. He doesn't ask, not wanting to press, but Lucy doesn't seem to mind. "Both my parents are gone," she admits to him, and she sounds so defeated that he almost wants to tell her that his are too. "Technically, I was eighteen by then, but my home was gone. I needed somewhere to go."

He hears the unspoken. So she came here, though he doesn't know why that would be allowed. This is a school, after all. Natsu can't see them taking in people like that, not without a good reason. Not, of course, that he doesn't think Lucy had a good reason. He knows what it's like to be alone, but at least he had Gray and Gajeel during those months Igneel was gone.

Natsu winces, shaking his head slowly to dispel the thoughts. He gently tosses an arm around Lucy's shoulders, deciding he likes the feel of her tucked against his side, something about it feeling natural. Wetting his lips, he rubs his thumb along her arm, warming her chilled skin. "I didn't mean to…" he trails off, squeezing her arm in apology.

Lucy only laughs, shaking her head slowly, hair tickling his throat. "It's okay," she responds, tilting her head to look at him, her eyes bright, flashing silver in the light of the moon. "I don't mind talking about it," she promises, reaching up to pat the arm wrapped around her shoulders in reassurance.

She settles back against him, counting the stars, and Natsu allows himself to play with a loose coil of hair, winding it around his finger absentmindedly, simply enjoying her company. She's so close he can smell her, jasmine and roses and something else he can't quite place, something that makes his senses tingle. "Do you know someone here?" he asks curiously, shifting slightly to find a more comfortable position.

"I know most of the people here," Lucy tells him, laughing lightly, almost embarrassed. "My mom worked here for a few years." Lucy glances up at him, a small, sad smile on her lips. He squeezes her arm and she continues softly. "That was before Gildarts took over, of course. He was offered the job first, but he was a drifter, from what my Grandfather said." She shakes her head. "My mom eventually gave up her position here, she wanted back on the field."

Natsu winces, already knowing how that ended. He offers her a gentle squeeze and she flashes him a smile, even if it doesn't quite reach her eyes. It's better than nothing, all things considered.

"Where were you before this?" he questions after a moment of silence, not wanting to push too hard. He'll drop it if she wants him to, but Lucy only grins up at him, making a face and wrinkling her nose. It startles him into a laugh, and he pulls her tighter against his side.

Lucy groans, covering her face with her hands, trying to hide. Natsu only laughs, waiting for her to speak. "I used to go to a boarding school," she murmurs, disgust clear in her voice. "I came right from there, so I've been here a few weeks already." She blinks up at him, positively miserable, and he can feel the tension in the air melt away.

"Yeah? How was that?" Judging by her expression, he would assume it didn't go well, not that he blames her for thinking so. He wouldn't be able to tolerate a boarding school. It sounds worse than public school, if only because boarding schools sound stuffy and boring and they're probably filled with uptight losers. Not that Lucy is an uptight loser, no, she's pretty cool. He likes her.

She's definitely not what he would have ever expected.

"It sucked," she says honestly, huffing and standing on shaky legs. He follows her up, Lucy grasping at his fingers as she leads him over to the fountain. "No was very friendly," she explains, propping herself up on his shoulder as she slowly peels her sock down her leg, Natsu following the movement with his eyes, drinking in the milky skin revealed to his gaze. "I like it a lot more here." His eyes snap back up to hers, Lucy smiling back at him as she tosses the dark fabric onto the ground, shifting so she can pull off the other.

She moves slower this time, almost teasing, and he swallows, throat tight as he watches her roll her sock down her leg, her fingers tightening on her arm, trusting him to hold her up. Hesitantly, he settles a hand on Lucy's waist, not wanting her to slip on the slightly damp ground. His fingers twitch against her side, his gaze snapping between her eyes and her legs.

He feels stupid for being so entranced. It's not like he's never seen legs before—and Lucy's legs, at that—but there's something that has him stunned.

He decides right then that he's never going to drink again.

Finally, Lucy tosses her sock aside, and Natsu feels himself flush as he meets her eyes. A stupid thought comes to mind, and Natsu sends her a stupid grin, amused with himself. Lucy quirks a brow, frowning slightly, and the question slips from his lips without him meaning to, "Did they make you walk around with a book on your head?"

He's a bit horrified with himself for asking, but Lucy looks stunned, almost surprised. "No!" she sputters, blushing a pretty shade of pink that makes Natsu raise a brow, sure she's lying. Lucy giggles, turning to dip her toes in the water, flicking some at him when he smirks at her. "Once," Lucy admits shyly, tucking the wayward strand of hair behind her ear and fiddling with the jasmine tucked into her hair. "It was a prank."

Natsu frowns, wrinkling his nose. "Well, that's not very nice of them," he responds, making a face at Lucy as she splashes more water at him, dotting his jeans with dark spots. She pouts and he laughs, picturing Lucy trying to walk with a stack of books on her head. Personally, he doesn't think it seems that hard, but what does he know?

Laughing, Lucy shakes her head, mistaking his teasing for something else. "It wasn't that bad," she whispers, something in her eyes making him think it _was_ that bad. Maybe not the book, but something else. Lucy was slightly skittish around them at first, not unfriendly, but certainly nervous, and Natsu can't help but wonder if she had any friends at that boarding school, though he thinks it would be a shitty thing to ask.

Instead, he asks, "could you do it?" and looks at her with wide eyes, grinning at her confused expression.

"Could I balance the book on my head?" she asks him, laughing as she lowers herself to the ground, uncaring of the wet floor as she dips her legs into the water, not seeming to mind the slight murkiness or the lily pads flouting around. The water goes up to her knees, Lucy swinging her legs and creating small waves.

"Yeah," he teases, dropping down beside her and yanking off his own socks and shoes, dropping them into a pile before rolling up his pants as far as he can. He wrinkles his nose at the chill, but ignores it as he settles into the water himself. "Could you do it?"

Lucy scoffs at him, crossing her arms and flicking more water his way, clearly unimpressed with his lack of faith in her. "Hell yeah I could," she snaps at him, mock-angry expression offset by the grin twitching at her lips, Lucy biting her cheek to hold it back. She looks at him like she'd daring him to challenge her, and Natsu never has been one to back out of a fight, even if it is just teasing.

Shaking his head, Natsu reaches down to splash water at Lucy, satisfaction warming his blood when he hears her squeal and then giggle. "I don't believe you," he jokes, prodding at a ticklish spot on her side and making her squirm.

"Well, ye of little faith," she drawls, grinning at him, "I guess I'll just have to prove you wrong." He shivers at the secretive tone she takes on, Lucy peering up at him through dark lashes. Honestly, he thinks seeing Lucy walking around with books on her head would be more than a little amusing, especially considering how serious she seems about it.

He doesn't doubt that she could do it, he just wants to see.

"Yeah?" he asks her, grinning. Lucy makes a little sound of affirmation, sending him a challenging but teasing look, a smile lighting up her face, eyes sparking with mischief. "When we get back then," he says, unsure how long they plan to stay out here. Not that he wants to leave, exactly. Natsu likes it here. It's peaceful, just like the garden they met in.

Briefly, he wonders it it's the plants that make him so calm. He knows jasmine is meant to soothe, but there were none in the garden.

Then he wonders if it might be Lucy.

"Bring it on," she says, giggling slightly. Lucy leans back on her hands, looking up at the stars as she swings her legs back and forth in the water, making ripples and waves. He looks down at her, Lucy blinking back at him slowly, and she smiles.

He quirks a brow at her glossy-eyed look. "You sure?" he jokes, reaching over to tug the lock of hair falling from her bun, twirling it around his finger when she laughs. "You're still a little tipsy," he reminds Lucy. Gently, he releases her hair, the lock coming away in a little coil that bounces slightly, making him smile.

Lucy leans in close, her breath tickling his. She places a hand on his thigh as she hovers beside him, and Natsu stills, feeling her gentle breaths against the side of his neck. "I have better balance tipsy than you do sober," Lucy tells him, giggling slightly.

She pulls back in a rush, a wicked look in her eyes, and Natsu thinks she's messing with him, not nearly as buzzed as he thought. "I'm sure you do, Luce," he laughs with her, shaking his head slightly.

They sit together in silence for some time, simply enjoying each others presence as the night grows darker and colder, time passing by. Lucy keeps humming that lullaby and Natsu finds himself slowly drifting off, his fingers absently drumming against his stomach as Lucy weaves flowers together, creating a crown of sorts. He tries to fall asleep, if only for a moment, but he has the nagging feeling of being watched. He's felt it since the party, just before Cana barged in, and, though it disappeared earlier, it's come back, possibly worse than before.

He doesn't like it, not even a little, though Lucy either doesn't feel it or is simply ignoring it.

"Hey, Natsu?" Lucy starts suddenly, turning to look at him. She smiles when he raises a brow in question, but doesn't actually respond. He thinks he sees something wicked in her eyes, but he blinks and it's gone, making him think it's merely a trick of the light. "Can I see your phone for a second?" she asks.

Natsu blinks back at her, curious, but decides there's no harm in it. His phone is password locked, so the worst she could really do is snap a few unflattering pictures for them to laugh at later. He shrugs, shifting as he tugs his phone out of his back pocket, quickly handing it over to her. "Sure," he murmurs, frowning when she sets his phone down beside her. "Why do you want my—"

Lucy lashes out suddenly, grabbing him by the front of his shirt before hauling him into the water, tossing him forward.

He hits the water with a splash, managing to twist in midair just enough to see Lucy smirking at him before he goes under. The chilly water nips at his skin, and Natsu has enough sense to hold his breath as the water swirls around him, though it's hard when all he wants to do is laugh. She got him good, he'll admit. He should have seen something like that coming, but he thought she was too nice to do something so devious—the last time he was shoved into water was when he was thirteen and Gray thought it would be the most hilarious thing in the world.

At least Lucy had the sense to take his phone first.

Blinking slowly, Natsu peers up at her through the churning water, his vision distorted, Lucy shifting in and out of focus. She's a gold haze above the surface, practically glinting at him, beckoning him to come back up, her red lips twisted into a grin. His back hits the bottom, the fountain shallow, yet deep enough to swallow him whole. For a moment, he simply rests there, staring up at the golden lights above him as Lucy calls his name, laughing and reaching into the water, hand searching for him through the darkness.

Finally, when his lungs begin screaming and his head starts to feel foggy, Lucy's voice taking a panicked edge when he doesn't respond, Natsu shoves himself off the rocky floor. He surfaces with a gasp, shoving his hair back as he stands, the water rising to his waist. Lucy relaxes when she sees him, smiling, and he shakes himself, splattering her with drops of water.

She squeals, throwing her hands up to protect her face, and bites her lip to smother a laugh when he sends her a devious look, green eyes glinting with something almost malicious.

Natsu slides up to her, noticing her own phone resting beside his, and cages her legs against the wall as he smirks at her. Above him, Lucy shivers as water droplets splatter against her bare thighs. "I hope you know you're coming in with me," he growls, not giving her a chance to respond before looping his arms around her waist and jerking her towards him.

Lucy yelps, laughing, and allows him to drag her into the water with him. Natsu keeps a hand on her back careful to keep her head above the water. She bobs in the water beside him, the water swirling around her ribs, Lucy shorter than him by nearly a head.

As the water churns, Lucy reaches out, grasping his hand and pulling it to eye-level. She considers the wet bandages on his hands, Natsu's fingers stinging slightly from the water clinging to his skin, and runs an apologetic finger across the back of his hand, eyes troubled. She catches her lip between her teeth, worrying it, and meets his gaze hesitantly. Her lips part, an apology there, and Natsu does the only thing he can.

He sweeps his arm across the surface of the water, sending a large wave hurtling towards her.

Lucy gasps, water dousing her chest and face. She glares at him, but her animosity is ruined by the smile on her lips and the water dripping from her chin and clinging to her hair.

A jasmine blossom falls into the water, white petals swirling with the stirring water, the blossom spinning in slow circles as it drifts between them.

The water swallows it as Lucy splashes him back, drenching him further. He sputters, wiping the water from his eyes, and stares back at Lucy. Her gold eyes glint with a challenge, her arm poised to splash him again, and she giggles at his stupefied expression. Lucy feigns a splash, and Natsu stares in wonder, unsure how they ended up here, drunk and playing in the water. That wasn't how he expected the night to go, not even in the slightest.

Though, he does think this is a lot more fun than getting drunk of tequila shots and vomiting all night. And at least he'll remember this in the morning.

Somehow, they end up in an all out war, water spraying everywhere, splattering across the floors and drenching them both. More flowers slip from Lucy's hair, drifting away with every splash, white dotting the dark water like stars. By the end of it they're both cold and shivering, but laughing happily.

It's when Lucy's teeth start chattering that Natsu decides they've had enough fun for one night. Mid-September is still cold at, especially with them so close to the coast. Slowly, Natsu leads Lucy back to the edge of the fountain, letting his fingers tangle with hers as he walks backwards. His back hits the wall, Natsu nearly slipping on the slick floor, and Lucy giggles at his startled expression. She shakes her head and he smiles sheepishly, rubbing the back of his head in embarrassment.

Slowly, he heaves himself out of the water, his head thick and his limbs water-locked, clothes weighing him down. He wrinkles his nose as water drips from his pants, puddling on the floor and making the ground slick. Hopefully, they won't get in trouble for tracking water around the school.

He reaches for Lucy next, helping to pull her out of the water as well, and she sends him a grateful smile, sliding close to his side as the chilly air seeps deep into their bones. She begins squeezing water out of her soaked shirt, and a moment later Natsu follows suit, feeling more like a drowned rat than anything else.

Lucy hands him his phone a moment later, her socks gathered in her hands, and Natsu takes it with a grateful smile, jerking his chin towards the door in a silent question, asking if she's ready to leave. Nodding, Lucy turns towards the door, taking a step towards her shoes and sweater as Natsu finds himself distracted by the crown of flowers lying abandoned on the floor.

Jasmine and forget-me-nots wind together, soft whites and blue speckled together in a thin chain. He blinks at it, unsure if he should take it or not, and eventually shrugs, gently picking up the crown, cradling it in his palm. A leaf snaps off, drifting back to the ground, but Natsu pays it no mind as he turns to follow Lucy, seeing her waiting for him by the door.

Natsu hurries back to her, grinning, and drops the crown on her head, letting it lay crooked against her crown. She beams up at him, tucking her boots under her arm as she shoves a sopping lock of hair behind her ear.

"Come on," she says, giggling as she fixes the crown. "It's getting late." She grabs the door, trailing water across the marble floors, and Natsu is only a step behind her as they hurry back to their dorm, laughing as they slip across the floor.

* * *

That night, they return to find Gajeel passed out on the couch, Levy nowhere to be found. There's a sunny, yellow cloth wound through his fingers, the long end trailing against the wood floors. Lucy tosses a blanket over Gajeel and Natsu snatches the flower crown from her head, grinning at her dirty look before dropping it on Gajeel instead.

Natsu pats his cousin on the back and prays that Gajeel doesn't kill him in the morning.

* * *

 **AN: So, uhh, there's some Erza and nalu for you guys! Have a lovely day and be sure to leave a review folks! Let me know what your favorite scene/line/moment was! I'm also going to do a special thing for the 500th reviewer (though I haven't decided what that thing is yet!).**

 **I also just wanted to let you all know that there might not be a new chapter next week! I'm getting my wisdom teeth out Friday and might be in a drugged up stupor for a few days, so it really depends on how I'm feeling! I would try to write the chapter early, but I'm in the midst of writing something else at the moment!**

 **Have a lovely week everyone!**

 **EDIT: Because someone brought it up, the "gardens" and "greenhouse" are two separate locations. Which is why I called the greenhouse the greenhouse. Natsu and Lucy first met in the gardens, they ended up in the greenhouse this chapter.**


	8. Chapter 8

**AN: Be sure to drop a review when you're done! Enjoy!**

* * *

 **Igniparous**

 **Chapter Eight**

There's a painting of a night sky on Lucy's wall, the glow of the moon bright against a dark backdrop, thousands of shades of blue blending together, hazy stars spattered across the canvas. She loves the night sky, he's coming to find out, from the painting on her wall to the plastic, glowing stars he helped her stick to the ceiling the Saturday afternoon after the party. They're still bright, even after nearly a week has gone by, the stars placed perfectly to mirror the constellations. The zodiac stand out from the rest, the stars a pale blue compared to off-white shades of the others.

Natsu asked about them as he was helping her stick them to the ceiling, the pair of them perched precariously on the furniture in her room. Lucy was on her dresser, stretching up on her toes to finish the stars in Aries, while Natsu wobbled unsteadily on the uneven surface of her bed, following her instructions carefully as he worked on Draco and Hercules.

Lucy only smiled at him when he wondered about the stars, telling him that she used to go stargazing with her mother when she was young. That was all she told him, smile a little sad, eyes not as bright as usual. She didn't offer anything else, and Natsu didn't pry, knowing how hard some things are to talk about.

At first, he wasn't sure why he volunteered to help her place the stars on her ceiling. It took them hours to get it perfect, and the late September heat was unbearable, still too warm during the afternoon. Perhaps it was because he was the only one awake. Levy stayed locked in her room for the day, and Gajeel wasn't happy about waking up to find a crown of flowers on his head, though he never did figure out who put it there. Gray and Juvia were nowhere to be found the entire day, though Gray never told him where he was, or whether Juvia was with him, for that matter. Natsu figures he was the only option to help Lucy, but he found himself enjoying it more than he thought he would.

He's been spending a lot of time in this room lately, practically having her room mapped out in his mind. There's something about it that just seems more open than his own room—something _alive_. Lucy's room feels lived in, not nearly as cold or empty as his own. Despite being a perfect mirror to his own room to the right of hers, Lucy's feels different. The walls are the same off-white, pale and plain, and the furniture is just as sparse, nothing more than a bed, a dresser, and a desk, but somehow it's more cozy than the rest.

It's nice, to say the very least. He feels welcome here, less alone than he is in his own barren room. It helps that he has an excuse to be there, Happy always sneaking off to curl up on her bed, Natsu usually finding his cat nestled in her deep, blue blanket, the little cat swallowed up in the fabric as Lucy read a book. She would just smile at him as he came in, not saying a word as he plopped onto her bed.

Natsu sighs through his nose, dropping his book onto the covers before rolling to the side, reaching out to scratch Happy behind his ears. The cat chirps, stretching as he's stirred from his nap, and peeks at Natsu with one eye, considering him for a moment before deciding Natsu isn't worth the effort of moving. Happy blinks sleepily, then curls up against Lucy's thigh, tucking his head beneath his paws and ignoring Natsu's attempts to get Happy to pay attention to him.

Insulted, Natsu huffs, tucking his hands beneath his head as he sends the cat a nasty look. Lucy, ignoring him as well, barely looks up from her notes on the destruction of the Kardia Cathedral during the First War of the Wyverns, reaching over to stroke Happy's spine, making the cat purr obnoxiously. The little traitor. Natsu pouts at both of them, unhappy about being ignored by his cat. He never thought Happy was a sucker for a pretty face, but Natsu supposes there's a first for everything.

He isn't entirely sure why Happy seems to like Lucy so much, the little cat practically attached to her hip at times, but Natsu can't say he minds too much, despite Lucy practically stealing his best friend. Happy has never been the most friendly of cats, having grown up on the streets. He's always been more aloof than most people assume. Despite enjoying the company of people, Natsu's never seen Happy grow so attached so quickly.

Natsu blames her "feminine wiles", as Igneel liked to call them.

Honestly, he's glad that Happy's found someone else he feels comfortable around. Natsu can't always be around the dorms, and he knows that Happy gets nervous when he's left alone for too long. With Lucy around, hopefully Happy will always have someone he can go to, or, at the very least, he should have a bed to hide under when something scares him.

His gaze travels from Happy up the length of Lucy's arm, watching in fascination as she mouths along with the notes she's reading, focused on them completely, hardly even noticing him there. She's been hyper-fixated on them all week, preparing for the first round of tests coming at the end of the month, only a few days away.

Truthfully, Natsu really should be studying as well. History has never been one of his better subjects, and he doubts their exam in Biology will be easy. Besides, he's sure Gildarts is bound to spring something on them, the man rather found of surprises.

Dragonology is by far his favorite class because of it. He enjoys how spontaneous the class is, how off track they can get and how much Gildarts seems to really connect with all of them, trying his best to share his passion with the rest of them.

"You know," Lucy comments, peeking up at him from over her notebook, a coy smile on her lips, "studying works easier if you have the book open." There's a spark of amusement in her eyes, Lucy's lips twitching in amusement as his expression. Natsu stares back at her, quirking a brow as she tickles Happy under the chin, making the cat purr even louder.

Natsu grins back at her, sitting up on his elbows to better looks at her. "Well, that's certainly your opinion," he jokes, Lucy rolling her eyes in response to his quip. She stretches out her leg, nudging his thigh with her bare toes, and his gaze flicks to the bare expanse of her leg. Natsu rips his eyes away from her, shaking his head slightly, and catches Happy's eye, the cat looking unimpressed with Natsu's wandering eyes.

She raises an unimpressed brow, looking ready to laugh at him. "And how's that going to help you pass the history quiz tomorrow?" she asks, head cocking to the side curiously. Happy stands, leaning into her touch, and climbs onto Lucy's lap, curling up against her, and making Lucy giggle.

"We have a quiz?" Natsu asks, eyes widening. Shit, he really should spend more time paying attention to the syllabus. Or maybe he should try to organize like Lucy does, with her color-coded calendar on the wall. Granted, he'd probably lose the calendar within a week, or Gajeel might steal it, but he really can't afford to start failing his classes, not so soon into the semester, at least.

Lucy shrugs, a hint of mischief in her eyes. "We might," she says, fluttering her lashes at him. Natsu groans, realizing she's only teasing. Sending her a mock angry look, Natsu gropes blindly for one of her pillows, smirking as he whacks her with it. Lucy yelps, giggling, and tries to snag it back from him, but Natsu cuddles it to his chest, deciding to hold it hostage.

He glances down at the pillow, smirking when he realizes it's her favorite: fluffy and white, a yellow crescent moon pattered onto the front. Oh well, it's his now.

"Are you trying to scare me into studying?" he questions Lucy, scandalized. He can't believe she would try to trick him like that, lying right to his _face_. He's hurt, really, he is. He thought they were better friends than that, but he supposes he was wrong.

Lucy sets her notebook to the side, shifting and tucking her legs beneath her as she sits up. Happy whines, displeased with being jostled, but settles down when Lucy rubs his cheek. She considers his question, humming to herself as she looks him over. "Depends," Lucy finally muses, leaning in close until her nose is almost touching his, "is it working?"

Yes, Natsu thinks, it's definitely working. His gaze dips to her lips for only a moment before snapping back up. "Maybe a little," he replies, shrugging. Her breath fans against him, ghosting his lips, and Natsu's breath hitches, his mouth going dry.

"Well," she tells him, chin tilting so that she's whispering in his ear, "when you fail the hypothetical quiz tomorrow—" he sends her a nasty look, scoffing, but she simply continues as if he hadn't interrupted—"remember that I warned you." Lucy yanks her pillow out of his grasp, laughing at his wounded expression.

He snorts, rolling his eyes, and Lucy giggles as she falls back against her headboard, cradling her pillow victoriously. He really should have seen that coming. "I will definitely remember that," he promises, glancing at his textbook with a disgusted look.

Lucy frowns suddenly, eyeing him almost warily as he sits up, Natsu tired of pretending to study. She watches him as Natsu reaches for her, his fingertips brushing against the bottom of her foot and making her squeak, Natsu knowing that she's ticklish there. She sends him a suspicious look, eyes bright with amusement. "Why, Mister Dragneel, are you trying to distract me?" She gasps scandalized, and Natsu wiggles his fingers against the bottom of her foot, making her laugh.

"And what if I am?" Natsu responds, voice low as he leans into her, hovering just inches away. Again, he tickles her foot, delighted by the small sound that leaves her, Lucy squirming out of his reach.

Happy, tired of being jostles, sends him a grumpy look as he crawls out of Lucy's lap, choosing to nap on her pillow instead, gray hairs speckling the white casing, a testament to where Happy's been sleeping when they're all in class.

"That," Lucy drawls, dodging his mischievous fingers, "would be very rude." She leans forward once again, directly in his face, and Natsu smiles at the challenge in her eyes. She tucks her feet beneath her, staring up at Natsu as he shifts towards her, Lucy's knee bumping against his side she's so close.

He swallows down the lump in his throat, trying not to fixate on her lips or how nice she smells, like roses. "Consider it payback," he whispers into her ear, noting the way she shivers, stilling at his close proximity, waiting. "You did steal my cat, after all," he jokes, smiling against the shell of her ear, feeling her soft skin as he speaks.

Lucy pulls back just enough to meet his eyes. "It's not stealing if he likes me better than you," she quips back, peering up at him through her eyelashes. Her hand settles against his knee, fingers squeezing around the joint, and he releases a breathy laugh.

Her gaze flicks down to his mouth, subtle, but he catches it. Natsu stares down at her, gaze soft as he meets her eyes. He grins and Lucy sends him a small smile in return, her breath catching when he leans into her. Natsu moves slowly, hovering over her lips, his eyes slipping shut as he feels her nervous breath on his lips. Soft fingertips brush against his cheeks, Lucy's nose bumping against his.

Natsu dips his chin, lips ghosting hers—

Lucy's bedroom door slams open, cracking against the wall loudly, and Happy jolts awake, puffing up to twice his normal size. The cat hisses at the intruders, a warning growl rumbling in his throat, his nails digging into Lucy's comforter. Lucy's jerks away from him, inhaling sharply, and Natsu whips around, wide-eyed as he stares at the doorway. Disappointment curls through him, Natsu pissed about being interrupted, though his anger is quickly followed by bewilderment at what nearly happened.

"Hey, Lovebirds!" Sting calls from the doorway, grinning at them with his hands covering his eyes. Behind him, Rogue looks absolutely mortified, his eyes flicking between Sting and the pair of them sitting on Lucy's bed. Rogue loops an arm around Sting's waist, hauling him backwards, but Sting simply bats him away with his free hand. "It's almost time for class," Sting informs them, grinning stupidly, "put your clothes back on and get your shit together!"

"Fuck off!" Natsu hisses at him, grabbing one of Lucy's pillows and chucking it at Sting. It hits him across the face, sending him stumbling a step back, much to Natsu's satisfaction. Natsu glances at Lucy, trying to calm his racing heart as he realizes he just tried to _kiss her_ , of all things. She meets his eyes, laughing slightly, and her lips twist into a smile that draws a grin from him as well.

He relaxes slowly, chuckling as he turns back to the men bickering outside the door, Rogue berating Sting for barging in like that. "Sting!" Rogue hisses, yanking Sting away from the door and shoving him towards the stairs gently. Sting grumbles something Natsu doesn't catch, batting away Rogue's hands, but complies, turning around and marching towards the stairs with a pout. Rogue watches him leave, eyes following Sting's movements for several seconds too long before he finally turns back to Natsu and Lucy. "Sorry about him," Rogue apologizes, flushing under their gazes. "He's…" Rogue trails off, waving his hands around nonsensically, "well, he's Sting," he finishes fondly, sending them a small smile.

Lucy curls her arms around herself, smiling at Rogue as she leans forward slightly, her knee bumping against Natsu's thigh. "No worries, Rogue," she tells him, voice strained and a tad higher than usual. Natsu glances back at her concerned, but she doesn't meet his eyes, avoiding them. Hurt flashes through him before he can shove it down, Natsu moving to stand, knowing when his presence isn't wanted. "We're used to it." Lucy stops him with a gentle hand on his elbow, fingers curling around him loosely.

He relaxes into her, waiting until Rogue nods and twists around before looking at Lucy once again, pleased to see her already staring back at him.

What he isn't happy to see is the troubled expression on her face.

"You okay?" he asks her gently, pulling out of her grip to sit up completely, crossing his legs beneath him as he turns towards her. He reaches for her hand, slowly, giving her time to pull back, but Lucy simply tangles her fingers with his, giving him a slow squeeze and a smile that doesn't quite reach her eyes.

Her gaze flicks from his for only a moment. "I'm fine," she tells him, tugging her fingers from his grasp before standing. He follows her with his eyes, watching as she straightens her clothes and grabs her socks from the floor. "I love Dragonology," Lucy reminds him with another tense smile.

Natsu's frown only deepens, unsure why class is bothering her. She seemed fine on Monday, but ever since then she hasn't wanted anything to do with the class. He isn't sure what set her off, but he knows something's been bothering her more than she's been letting on. "Yeah, you seem very excited about it," he quips, standing as well, watching as she struggles with her socks, wobbling precariously on one foot.

"Gildarts said he had something fun planned for today," she says, shrugging. She begins to peel the other sock up her leg, holding his gaze. Happy winds around her feet, nearly making her fall, but Lucy catches her balance, Natsu stepping in to steady her when she starts to tip backwards.

He squeezes her arm gently, Lucy sending him a grateful smile. "That's not what's bothering you though, is it?" Natsu asks, brow furrowing when she sighs, refusing to meet his gaze. He lets her slip from his grasp, Lucy twisting around to collect her things, her fingers curling around her Dragonology textbook hesitantly.

"We bond with our dragon eggs on Monday," she reminds him a moment later, her shoulders going stiff as she says it out loud. Lucy clams up almost immediately, a stubborn tick in her jaw telling him that's about all she's going to say.

Natsu considers the statement, remembering that Gildarts mentioned it on Monday. Truthfully, Natsu's more excited about it than he's letting on. He can't wait to finally bond with a dragon. Sometimes he thinks about Igneel and his own dragon, Ignis, how in tune with each other they were, how they always just seemed to know exactly what the other needed. That bond seems special, precious.

"Is that a bad thing?"

"No," Lucy replies quickly, turning back to him with a half-smile. She sighs, leaning back against the wall, her arms curling around herself almost protectively. "It's not, I just—" She cuts off suddenly, glancing down at Happy, who rubs against her calf, trilling softly. Her smile leaves just as quickly as it came.

Natsu takes a step towards her, reaching out to place one hand on her shoulder. Lucy leans into his touch, and he takes that as a good sign. "Hey, Lucy," he murmurs, waiting until she looks at him to continue, "what's wrong?"

For a moment, he thinks she might tell him, but Lucy merely smiles up at him, fingers curling around his wrist and giving him a gentle squeeze. "It's nothing," she tells him, pulling his hand from her arm and instead weaving their fingers together. "Really," she repeats, "I'm fine, Natsu. I promise."

He doesn't believe her, but lets her tug him from the room regardless, silently promising that he's going to get rid of that troubled look in her eyes.

* * *

Natsu is half-way to falling asleep on his desk when Gildarts finally storms into the room, looking rumpled in an old shirt, a long, military jacket tossed over his usual clothes. Despite the exhaustion in his eyes, Gildarts manages a wide smile for all of them, grinning in a way that's almost manic, too bright and too large. He practically skips over to his desk, a wicked gleam in his eyes, and Natsu suddenly has the horrible sensation that Gildarts has something especially terrible planned for today.

No one smiles like they've just won something unless it's going to make a bunch of hopeful youths miserable.

He exchanges a quick look with Gajeel, who only snorts and leans back in his chair, resting it on the back too legs. He wobbles precariously, nearly tipping over, but Rogue, sitting directly behind Gajeel, manages to keep Gajeel from falling, holding the chair up with one foot.

Beside him, Lucy looks up from her conversation with Juvia, briefly looking at the overly excited Gildarts before turning to him, a slight frown on her lips. She quirks a brow, but Natsu merely shrugs in response, knowing just as much as she does about Gildarts' slightly creepy smile. Realizing he doesn't have any answers, Lucy blinks at him once before turning back to Juvia, the other girl speaking animatedly for the first time that Natsu's seen.

Juvia's a shy one, he's come to notice, and he's glad she's opening up to people like Lucy and Levy, the three girls getting along well. Frankly, Natsu would like to think their entire dorm gets along well, though it helps that he's known Gray and Gajeel practically his entire life. Rogue and Yukino are both a little shy, but they've both been working through that, slowly joining the conversation more and more every night.

They've all broken off into their own little groups, but still manage to come together, which Natsu thinks is a perfectly acceptable way to go about life. It's easier to speak in smaller groups, after all.

"All right, Brats!" Gildarts calls out, silencing them by clapping his hands together. The sound startles Gajeel, who nearly tips his chair backwards in surprise. Rogue manages to catch him with one foot, straining to keep Gajeel from hitting the ground. Beside Rogue, Sting just barely smothers his laughter, biting his lip to keep from cackling in the middle of class. Gildarts simply continues on as if they aren't interrupting class, grinning at them wolfishly. "We have a very special class today."

Natsu thinks that's the most foreboding thing he's ever heard in his entire life. And that's certainly saying something, considering all the times he's been threatened with violence by Gajeel and Gray.

Natsu leans over, placing his mouth by Lucy's ear. "Ooh," he breathes against her, distracting Lucy from her conversation with Juvia and making her shiver slightly, his breath fanning across her skin. "A surprise!" He grins, Lucy tilting her head to look over at him without being too suspicious.

She quirks a brow at him, obviously amused. "A surprise from Gildarts could be a surprise test, you know," she reminds him pointedly, both of them knowing that he'd be screwed if it really was a test. He merely shrugs, gaining a smile from Lucy in return.

"Maybe," Natsu hums in response, squinting at their professor, trying to gauge his expression and find out what he's up to. "Look at the way he's smiling," he whispers to Lucy, wrinkling his nose at the wide smile on Gildarts' face. He pulls a face, making Lucy giggle lightly. "Looks like trouble," Natsu tells her, grinning.

Lucy glances at him, raising an unimpressed brow. "That's the same smile you always have," she reminds him, lips twitching at the corners, a smile threatening to overtake her. The look she sends him is teasing, and Natsu's smile only widens when he looks at her, a look of mock-offense spreading across his face.

"Are you calling me trouble, Lucy?" he asks her, ignoring Gray and Gajeel's stares burning at the back of his head. He knows they're probably laughing at him, but he doesn't have it in him to care, too happy with himself for getting a genuine smile out of her. He's not exactly sure what was wrong earlier, but he'll do whatever he can to help.

"Are you saying you're not?" She responds in kind, leaning in closer to him, their noses almost touching. His eyes lock with hers, Natsu's breath catching as he takes in the flecks of gold in her eyes, something he's been noticing more and more since the party Friday night.

It's no wonder the dragons seem to flock to her; she practically radiates gold. It's something else he's noticed. The smaller breeds of dragons, most no bigger than cats, always seem to appear around her, whether she's outside reading or they're up in the bell tower.

He's found more than one Eastern Wyvern in her bedroom over the last few weeks, Lucy constantly forgetting to lock the door to her balcony. The little creatures are smart, leaning how to open the lever door handles. He wonders if they can open knobs as well, but figures that's not something any of them should test.

"What kind of special class?" Gildarts asks them, noticing the confusion and slight terror on all of their faces, a long pause stretching from his greeting. "Why, a fun one of course!" No one seems to believe him, much to Gildarts' annoyance. He pouts at them, huffing slightly, but continues regardless. "And when I say fun, I promise there will be no bodily harm involved. Hopefully," he tacks on, much to Natsu's horror. "You can never been quite sure when it comes to this school," Gildarts mumbles, just loud enough for Natsu to catch it. "Regardless, keep your hands to yourself and nothing should go wrong."

Yeah, Natsu doesn't like where this is going.

"That's not very reassuring," someone comments.

"Quiet!" Gildarts snaps, glaring at the student. "Anyway, grab your things, Kids, we have a very fun lesson planned." He grins at them, all teeth. "Today, we start with my favorite of the dragon classes: the Titans."

* * *

Five minutes later finds them all situated outside the school, in a grassy expanse in front of the main doors. Cherry trees line the courtyard, flowers in bloom despite the looming chill of fall seeping into the air. It's magic, he's learned since coming here. Their history professor, Warrod, specializes in plant magic. He keeps the flowers blooming until the snow comes in full force.

The greenhouse is his, as well, Natsu learned the other day, when Warrod returned Natsu's jacket to him, Natsu having forgotten it after his swim with Lucy. Natsu was afraid the man would be angry with them breaking in, but Warrod only laughed and sent Natsu a wink before shooing him from the empty classroom. Lucy was embarrassed when he told her what happened, but didn't dwell on it for long, promising that Warrod wouldn't give them grief over it.

Besides, the greenhouse isn't technically off limits, so long as they don't ruin anything.

However, it isn't the plants that have Natsu staring in awe, his lips parted in surprise as he blinks at the magnificent creature lounging in the center of the courtyard, curled up tightly and taking up most of the space. One giant, blue eye peers back at all of them sleepily, pupil narrowed into a thin sliver, the creature half-lidded and peeking at them through the harsh sunlight, the clouds overhead finally beginning to clear after hours of rain.

The Titan shakes himself slightly one wing stretching into the sky and completely blocking out the sun for a single, terrifying moment. The motion sends a spray of water their way, and Natsu twists around, half-covering Lucy and Levy from the droplets. They soak through his shirt, a chill biting at his skin, but the smiles he receives from the girls' make the discomfort worth it.

Huffing, Gildarts chastises the big dragon, walking straight up to it and slapping at its nose with a huff, cursing and hissing something that Natsu can't hear from so far away. The dragon blinks back at Gildarts, disinterested, and blows a plume of smoke into the man's face. Gildarts cough, swearing, and Natsu could swear that the large dragon _smiles_ , obviously please with itself.

Beside him, Lucy giggles, and Natsu glances at her, quirking a brow. She says nothing in response, only shakes her head and wraps her arms tighter around herself as a cold breeze whips around them. Grinning, Natsu tosses an arm around her shoulders, gently tucking her against his side as they follow a skipping Levy closer to the dragon, Gildarts beckoning them forward, still swearing at the dragon.

Swatting at the dragon one last time, Gildarts turns around and smiles at them, holding out his arms as if to say "surprise!" The class simply blinks back at him, unsure what to make of their suddenly hands on class. A giant dragon certainly wasn't what Natsu was expecting. A sudden trip to the library or a quiz, maybe, but not a goddamn _dragon_.

Natsu is pretty sure they aren't even supposed to be around dragons yet, all things considered.

"Everyone," Gildarts calls out cheerfully, gesturing to the dragon with a flourish, "I'd like to you meet Old Bolly, a long time resident of Eventyr." He reaches out, patting the pale, white dragon on the snout. Another plume of smoke surrounds Gildarts, who merely coughs and fans it away with his hands. The dragon uncoils itself from the tight ball it's wound itself into, letting its long neck lie flat on the ground, blue eyes curious as it stares at all of them.

For a moment, it stares directly at Natsu.

"The surprise was a dragon?" someone scoffs, unimpressed despite the fact that a giant fucking dragon is lying right in front of them, blinking sleepily and big enough to swallow all of them whole. In fact, the dragon almost looks like it wants to eat them, evidently equally unimpressed with being scoffed at.

Frankly, if it came down to a fight, Natsu is almost positive the dragon would win. Despite looking old and a bit lazy, all the dragon would need to do is roll over.

It's almost sad, how easy it is to forget how large they can grow. They may have tamed dragons, but there's no telling how long that could last. It's a wonder they haven't all been slaughtered.

Gildarts sighs, turning to the displeased student with a tense smile, obviously in no mood for backtalk today. "Well," he drawls, crossing his arms, eyes a bit sharper than normal, "this is an academy for dragon riding." There's something bitingly sarcastic in his words, and Natsu barely smothers a smile as he sees the disgruntled student flush slightly, all eyes on them. "It's best to start out with something small," Gildarts continues, reaching behind him to pat the dragon's snout. "Metaphorically speaking, of course," he tacks on, seeing the bewildered expressions on everyone's faces.

He clears his throat, clapping his hands together once more, grinning at all of them. "Now, can anyone tell me why I would start with a Titan class, rather than, say, a Broadwing or a Sprite?" he asks them, frowning when no one raises their hand. Frankly, Natsu would think they would start with the smallest dragons, so not to overwhelm those who may be unfamiliar with larger breeds.

"Miss Heartfilia?" Gildarts asks, gesturing towards Lucy, who's shyly raised her hand.

Lucy hesitates, aware of the eyes on her, and Natsu shifts, blocking her from view, Levy attempting to do the same from Lucy's other side, despite her shorter stature. It helps, however, Lucy relaxing slightly as she stares at the dragon. "You'd start with a Titan because, despite their larger sizes, Titan Class Dragons are typically more docile," she explains slowly. "Broadwings are faster, more prone to fighting, and Sprites tend to bite when they don't like being handled."

Gildarts nods, gesturing for her to continue.

"Besides," Lucy continues, confidence growing the longer she speaks, "it's harder for Titan Class Dragons to move quickly under their own weight and they aren't particularly nimble." The dragon snorts, offended, and narrows its visible eye at Lucy, who merely smiles. "Their size reduces the risk of injury. Unless, of course, they step on you."

"Other than that," Lucy finishes, gesturing to the dragon, Bolly, Gildarts called it. An odd name. "This dragon especially is well socialized and very old," she states. Again, the dragon huffs, tuning its head away, clearly offended by the insinuation. "He's been around people for years and was a safer choice to bring new students around than, say, a Fiorian Firebolt."

Natsu winces, knowing just how destructive the breed can be. When he was younger, a raging Firebolt nearly burned down an entire block in Hargeon, where he grew up. Firebolts have one of the more impressive breed abilities when it comes to dragons. Their scales secret a combustible fluid, and the scales are able to flex, scrapping together to create flames.

They're practically a walking match, one of the more dangerous breeds of dragons. As far as Natsu knows, they're prohibited from combat, more of a liability than an asset.

Natsu can't help but think that's for the best. People died that day in Hargeon, and even if that wasn't the dragon's intent, it's still what happened. There's no telling who could get hurt around them, even by accident.

"And how did you come to that conclusion?" Gildarts asks, genuine curiosity on his face. Natsu thinks it's a fairly easy conclusion to come to, when he thinks more about it. It only makes sense that they'd choose a slower and more personable dragon over one of the smaller, spitfire breeds that flock around campus and steal food from people.

A tiny thing called a Kester took off with Gajeel's sandwich the other day, much to his frustration.

"He's not being kept in the stables," Lucy replies, leaning slightly into Natsu's side as the sky starts to darken once again, droplets of water beginning to fall from the sky, a storm brewing. The dragon lifts its head, then raises its wing once more, blocking out the sun but also protecting them from the rain. "It's likely someone assumed he wouldn't be prone to biting anyone," she tells Gildarts, arms curling around herself to ward off the cold, "making him well socialized." Her eyes narrow in thought, gaze traveling over the length of the pale, white dragon. "As for the age… Bolvkins lose most of their coloring the older they get." Gildarts' eyes widen, seemingly impressed, and Natsu feels pride for his friend well in his chest. "This one, if I had to guess, is like several centuries old. At least four," Lucy guesses, smiling.

She glances up at Natsu briefly, grinning, and he returns her look, squeezing her upper arm gently.

Gildarts nods, crossing his arms with a pleased smile. "And how'd you know this was a Bolvkin, Miss Heartfilia?" he questions, head tilting to one side curiously. There's something almost teasing in his eyes, but it's gone before Natsu can be sure.

"Well, I did read the textbook," Lucy tells him, a bit sarcastically, at that. Natsu snorts, and Lucy elbows him in the ribs, making him wince. He looks down at her, hurt, but she ignores his pouting, staring ahead at their professor. Natsu pinches her inner arm and Lucy jolts, sending him a dirty look that's dampened by the smile on her lips.

"Thank you, Miss Heartfilia," Gildarts says, smiling at her, "you are correct." He turns back to the rest of the class, gaze sliding across all of them, slowly, gauging their reactions. "This is Bolly," he introduces again, reaching out to pat the dragon's side, "our resident lazy Northern Bolvkin." The dragon snorts, spiked tail coming off the ground before flopping back down, making the ground shake.

Gildarts sends the dragon a dirty look, but says nothing as he continues with his lecture. "Commonly found in the coldest locations of Iceberg and the Northern tip of Pergrande, in the Catarina mountain range. As a Titan class, Bolvkin's reside at nearly sixty meters long from snout to the tip of their tail at the largest." He smirks, adding, "with some exceptions, of course," and a jerk of his hand towards the dragon.

He mumbles something that sounds like "fatty" under his breath, and the dragon shifts his wing, dousing Gildarts with water. Gildarts merely smiles, dripping wet, seemingly uncaring of the water soaking through his clothes.

"Now," he continues, voice slightly higher than usual, grin threatening to split his face in half, "Bolvkins are one of the largest breeds of dragons, and are also one of the more well known breeds of Titans. Others include the Southern Hux, Peltyrs, and the Seadragons known as Kalmaras found only in the waters around the Encan coast," he lists off on his fingers, metal digits glinting in the light. "There are several other breeds of Titans, a grand thirty-four in total. Though, most have been brought to near extinction, unfortunately." His smile slips into a frown, eyes swirling with something melancholy.

"There are, of course, several breeds of near Titans hovering just below the forty meter mark, the cutoff length for Titans," Gildarts tells them, beginning to pace in front of the large dragon, voice raising over a rumble of thunder in the distance. He glances nervously at the sky, brow furrowing, his lesson evidently going to be cut short if the rain gets any worse. "The largest breed of Titans are the Mandalyans, found only in Minstrel, which can be up to sixty-two meters in length. The smallest breed, resting at forty meters exactly, is a Balder, which is the only Titan Class Dragon found in the Military Corps."

Patting the dragon's side, Gildarts smiles at Bolly fondly. "Our Bolvkin here, is sixty meters long and the largest on record. He's reportedly nearly five hundred years old and he fought in the first of the dragon wars."

The dragon's icy eye is illuminated by a crack of lightning in the distance.

* * *

"I can't believe you actually made me study for three hours," Natsu complains later, glancing at his phone to see it's nearly ten at night, the hallways dark and quiet as they head back to their dorm, finally being shooed out of the library because of the time—and perhaps a few noise complaints, but he chooses not to think about that.

Lucy rolls her eyes, sending him a look as she straightens her sweater. "It was not three hours," she scoffs tossing her braid over her shoulder, nearly hitting him with it, much to her satisfaction.

He tosses an arm around her shoulders, tugging her against his side gently. "We were in the library for three hours," he reminds her, fingers finding the end of her braid and twirling it slightly, reveling in the softness. Lucy snorts, grabbing at his hand and pinching the skin between his thumb and pointer finger, making him pout.

"Yes," Lucy agrees sarcastically, bumping him with her hip as she leads him down the dark hallway, the silence around them almost eerie. "And in that time, you complained about having to study for at least an hour," she reminds him, head tilting back as she glances up at him.

Natsu pinches her nose and Lucy squeals, giggling.

"Well, than you made me study for two hours," he corrects himself. At least she managed to make studying slightly less painful than usual, promising they'd watch something later if he could get through the entire chapter on the Veronica Revolution for history class the next day.

He'd done so, begrudgingly, of course. Granted, Natsu's starting to see the appeal in history class. Warrod makes things interesting, to say the very least. Besides, it's better than their flight theory class. Jose didn't bother him on Tuesday, already getting one lecture from the Headmaster. That doesn't mean Thursday will be the same, though.

"I didn't make you do anything," Lucy laughs, pulling out of his grasp to walk backwards, facing him. She grabs his hand, pulling him along with her, and Natsu laughs when she nearly walks into a wall, catching herself at the last second. "You could have left," she reminds him, her worry from earlier seeming to disappear, much to his relief. He doesn't like seeing her upset like that.

Natsu shakes his head, quirking an unimpressed brow. "And what kind of gentleman would I be if I let you walk around after dark?" he asks, only half sarcastic. Truthfully, he's glad he went with her to the library tonight. There's something unsettling about the air around them. Everything is too quiet. Lucy can handle herself perfectly fine, he knows from their weapons class, but that doesn't make him like the idea of her walking around alone at night anymore that he would if she couldn't defend herself.

"Oh?" she asks, teasing. "So you're a gentleman now?"

A wounded expression crosses his face, Lucy giggling in response. "I've always been a gentleman," he tells her, jerking her towards his chest with their connected hands. Lucy stumbles, but he catches her, pulling her close. She glances up at him, amused, and Natsu wiggles his eyebrows.

"Really? Could have fooled me," Lucy jokes, falling into step beside him once more.

Natsu knocks his shoulder against hers, sending Lucy stumbling sideways slightly. She doesn't go far, giggling, and Natsu grins down at her. "Now that's not very—" He cuts off suddenly, stopping short as he hears a low groan come from the shadows in front of them, dark spots dotting the ground, something streaked across the white marble.

Lucy's fingers curl around his elbow, and he looks down at her, only to find her gaze locked on the dark spots. "Natsu," she murmurs, voice shaky. Lucy wets her lips, swallowing thickly before casting him a quick glance. "That's—" She doesn't finish shaking her head, but Natsu knows what she wants to say.

It's blood.

He ducks his head, mouth against Lucy's ear, his breath shaky as he glances at the shadows, a scrapping sound coming from up ahead. "Stay close to me?" he asks her, relaxing slightly when he feels Lucy nod. Slowly, he leads her forward, tugging his phone from him pocket and fiddling with the flashlight.

The hallways lights up, but there's nothing there but more blood.

"Something doesn't feel right," Lucy whispers, an arm curling around his back, her fingers clenching around his shirt. He has to agree with her, something's been off since they left the library, it was just a feeling, but he doesn't like it at all.

Something moves off to his right, and Natsu jerks around, the light flashing against the walls, Lucy spinning around with him, nails pricking at his skin. Natsu's eyes widen when he sees a small shape curled against the wall. Dark eyes glint in the light from his phone, a soft whine coming from the small dragon they've come across. It tucks itself close to the wall, quivering and Natsu inhales sharply when he sees the blood pooling on the ground beneath it.

Beside him, Lucy gasps, wiggling out of his grasp and taking a step forward. "It's an Emberwing," she tells him, crouching down despite his soft protest of her name, not wanting her so close to a scared dragon that could easily bite.

The dragon only chirps, a soft sound pulling from its throat as it slowly uncoils itself, sniffing at Lucy's outstretched hand nervously. It moves further into the light, and Natsu feels sick when he sees the long, deep slashes across the tiny dragon's back, one wing limp at its side, a hole torn through the membrane.

It doesn't look like claw marks. The cuts are too neat, but placed haphazardly. A knife, if he had to guess, but he doesn't know who in the world would do something like this.

"What the hell happened to it?" he murmurs, sharing a look with Lucy, who gently strokes the small dragon's head, rubbing behind its horns. There's horror on her face, and her hands come away slick with blood when she releases the dragon.

* * *

 **AN: Look! Plot! What's going on with the dragons? Stay tuned to find out! As always, thank you to everyone who reviewed the last chapter! I really do appreciate it :D**

 **UPDATE 7/26/17: Much like I do with Berserk, I've decided that for every 500th review of this fic, I'll be taking a fic request from the 500th reviewer! It can be something from this universe (something with the history, or perhaps a side chapter about one of the other characters in this story who may not be at the for front!). I'm guessing 500 reviews won't be coming until at least the next chapter, but here's a little forewarning :D**


	9. Chapter 9

**AN: Be sure to drop a review when you're done! Enjoy!**

* * *

 **Igniparous**

 **Chapter Nine**

Lucy settles into the couch, her knees drawn to her chest as she curls up on one end, Levy situated at the other and Juvia nestled between them, her dark hair twisted into a knot and her blue eyes focused on the ball of yarn in her lap, knitting-needles clicking together gently as she works. Stroking Happy gently, Lucy watches her friend work, bright, cheery yellow yarn slowly becoming what looks vaguely like a hat, but Lucy knows better. She smiles, tickling Happy's chin, and the cat purrs, pleased with the attention. He kneads at her stomach, nails poking her through her shirt, but Lucy pays him no mind, letting him do what he wants.

Worrying her lip, Lucy continues to pet Happy, her thoughts all jumbled together from Wednesday night. Despite it being nearly a week, Lucy can't get those Emberwing's eyes out of her mind, how terrified it was at the sight of her, how it flinched as she came closer. She doubts she'll ever be able to forget that, not for a long time.

She stops petting Happy, wincing, and the cat blinks up at her, meowing sadly as he paws at her arm. Lucy shakes off her thoughts, sending him a tense smile, and Happy looks almost concerned as he rises on her lap, paws pressing against her upper chest in order for him to rub his cheek against hers. Huffing, she gently rubs at his head, leaning into him slightly, the cat a familiar and welcome presence.

Being alone hasn't been something Lucy's wanted to do for the past week. She keeps seeing that dragon when she closes her eyes, the blood on the floor and on her hands, her clothing stained with it after they bought the Emberwing to Porlyusica. She's been sticking close to everyone since it happened, not venturing far, and Happy's taken to sleeping in her bed at night. She isn't sure what Natsu thinks of that, but if it's upsetting him he doesn't show it.

He's been carrying on like normal, for the most part, but there's a heaviness to his eyes. Something that wasn't there before.

Sighing, Lucy curls against the back of the couch, stroking Happy's spine as the cat continues to purr, low rumbles vibrating the couch. Lily, perching on the back of the couch above Levy's head, cracks open an eye, tail twitching as he stares at Happy. The other cat regards them for a moment, then curls into a ball, sniffing softly.

Rogue's cat, Frosch, sits beside Juvia's lap, watching her knit with interest. The cat swipes at Juvia's yarn, but the girl is faster, yanking it out of the way before Frosch and Sting's cat, Lector, can run off with it like they did the ball of red yarn Juvia had earlier.

The cats have been hanging out with the three of them all of their lunch break, Lucy not feeling up to eating, her stomach twisted into knots at the thought of their Dragonology class after lunch, of bonding with new dragon eggs.

Levy glances up from her books suddenly, her eyes locking with Lucy's. Shutting her book, she sits up, crossing her legs beneath her and setting the thick novel off to the side. Lucy watches her curiously, noticing Levy's pensive expression, her lip caught between her teeth as she glances between her lap and Lucy.

"So…" she starts suddenly, trailing off awkwardly. "What happened to that Emberwing you and Natsu found?" The question comes out almost casual, but Levy chews at her lower lip, gaze flicking from Lucy's every few seconds, and Lucy knows that Levy is more curious than she's letting on.

Truthfully, she and Natsu haven't said much about what happened that night, keeping the details few and the conversations short. All they told the others was that they found a dragon that was hurt, nothing more and nothing less. Lucy knows that their explanation wasn't enough to sate their roommates curiosity, but it's not a conversation she wants to be having.

Lucy plays with Happy's ears gently, letting him rub against her hand. "I don't know," she tells Levy, avoiding her gaze. She wets her lips, winding Happy's tail around her finger. "I tried to ask Porlyusica the other day," she explains softly, "but she told me to get lost."

She tries for a smile, noticing that both Levy and Juvia are watching her carefully, but her expression comes off forced even to her.

Levy and Juvia exchange a look, neither speaking for a long moment. Juvia's knitting needles click as she works, making little progress with her project. Frosch meows softly, pawing at the yarn, but gives up when he doesn't get a reaction out of the girl. On the other end of the couch, Levy looks torn between asking another question and reaching for her book, killing the conversation before it can fester.

"How bad was it?" she finally asks, glancing at the door suddenly, as if wondering when the boy's will be back with whatever they planned on getting. Neither Juvia or Levy cared much what they ate, simply telling the boys they'd eat whatever, so long as they brought it back to the dorm.

Gajeel promised to do so, but only after an uncomfortable amount of silence and an agreement that Levy would help him study for their next history exam, which she reluctantly settled with.

The tension between the two of them has been palpable since the party over a week earlier, though Levy hasn't told her what happened. Similarly, Juvia and Gray seem to have fallen into a tense relationship, neither able to look each other in the eye. Though, where Juvia is sad, Gray seems to be more regretful than anything else.

But Lucy doesn't ask and they won't tell.

Lucy thinks about Levy's question for a long moment, unsure how to respond. It was worse than bad, if she's honest with herself. It was probably the worst thing Lucy's ever seen. She's been dreaming about it lately, and not even the constellations on her ceiling are able to keep the nightmares away.

"Really bad," she decides to tell Levy, unsure how much she wants to explain. "There was a lot of blood." Simply thinking about it is enough to make her sick, less so because of the blood and gore, that Lucy could handle. No, it was the unashamed cruelty of the situation. Emberwings are one of the more docile breeds of the Sprite Class, named for their pale orange coloring, rather than their affinity for fire, which they can't breathe. While most Sprite's are snappy, Emberwings are no larger than common house cats and rarely bite.

There was no reason for someone to attack that dragon, not as far as she's concerned.

Juvia stops knitting. She sets down her needles, worried blue eyes locking with Lucy's as Juvia turns to face her. Frosch crawls into her lap, batting at the yarn, but Juvia pays the cat no mind. "Do you think it made it?" Juvia asks softly, teary-eyed as she blinks at Lucy. Absently, Juvia scratches at Frosch's ear, fingertips smoothing down the pink sweater on the kitten's back.

Lucy wants to say yes, wants to say that of course the dragon's okay. Porlyusica's hands are the most capable Lucy knows. The dragon will be fine, so long as the healer is looking after it. She starts to say so, but the words catch in her throat, tasting like a lie.

"I don't know," she admits, swallowing back the lump in her throat. Happy trills, gaining her attention, and Lucy casts him a quick glance before her gaze snaps back to Juvia and Levy, both girls staring imploringly. "I hope so," Lucy adds, arms winding around herself. She wishes she could have seen the dragon again, but Porlyusica wouldn't let her inside.

Levy's eyes narrow, her arms crossing over her chest. "I didn't think the dragons around here were so violent," she mumbles, shaking her head as she reaches for her book, glancing up briefly to check the clock on the wall, noting that they still have a good hour and a half before class starts.

Snorting, Lucy shakes her head, lips twisting into a bitter frown. "They aren't," she says, nestling into the couch. Happy settles into her lap, purring, and Lucy begins playing with his ears, stroking his silky fur and making them twitch when she grazes the longer hairs inside.

Her response causes Levy to freeze, hand hovering over her book. Juvia, similarly, stops halfway to grabbing her needles. The girls exchange a confused look, gazes nervous as they turn to Lucy. Levy clears her throat, wetting her lips. "What do you mean?" she asks, the quiver in her voice saying that she knows exactly what Lucy means, even if she doesn't want to say it out loud.

"I don't think it was a dragon fight," Lucy tells them, repeating the same words she said to her grandfather days earlier, the same words she's been telling herself since Wednesday night.

A dragon didn't do that.

Levy doesn't respond for a long moment, and a heavy silence hangs over them, looming and dark. Juvia's knitting needles slip into her lap, rolling onto the floor with a clatter that echoes in the room. "Lucy," Levy begins, taking a deep breath as her eyes slip shut. She sighs, shaking her head, then opens them again, expression serious. "Are you implying that it—"

"Was a person?" Lucy finishes for her, twisting to the side to scoop up Juvia's needles before Lector can bat it under the couch. "Yeah, I am." Handing the needles back to Juvia, Lucy sends Levy a serious look, her lips pressed into a thin line. "Those weren't claw marks, Levy," Lucy tells her gently, remembering how neat the cuts were, not as jagged as dragon claws. She's seen cuts from claws, they never come out perfectly straight. "It looked like knife wounds."

Natsu agreed with her on that, nodding along with her statement something dark in his gaze, as if he was comparing the marks on the Emberwing to something else. She doesn't know it was claw marks or those made with a knife that he was imagining in his mind. She doesn't think she wants to know.

"Did you tell the Headmaster?" Levy asks, shaking her head slowly. Her fingers come up to knead at her temple, Levy suddenly looking more exhausted than Lucy has ever seen her.

Nodding, Lucy tickles Happy under the chin, the cat giving a pleased chirp in response. "Yeah," she says slowly, "Natsu and I both had to give statements, that's why we got back so late." After dropping the dragon off with Porlyusica—a feat that nearly cost them both their heads, their professor grouchy upon being awoken—they were called into Makarov's office, Gildarts and Precht already there. They repeated everything they saw from the moment they left the library, went over it three times to see if they missed anything.

In the end, there was nothing. No one had a clue what happened, much less why.

"Who could have done something like that?" Juvia asks, shaking her head softly, eyes big and sad as she stares at the coffee table, disgust in her eyes, her lips pressed into a thin, fierce line. Gently, she scoops Frosch into her lap, letting him rub against the yarn ball.

Lucy doesn't know who could have done it. She doesn't know who could be that callous. Frankly, she doesn't think she wants to find out.

Her skin crawls as she remembers the sensation of being watched, something she first noticed at the party. It's only persisted since then, growing worse ever since they found that dragon.

"Are you sure it was a knife wound?" Levy asks her, frowning. She stands slowly, watching Lucy's expression as she reaches for her book. With narrowed eyes, Levy purses her lips, not looking the least bit reassured as Lucy nods. With a shake of her head, Levy sighs, rubbing her free hand across the side of her face. "I'll be back in a little while," she promises, slipping around the couch and heading for the stairs on the left side. "Tell Gajeel he can have whatever he brought, I'm not hungry."

Lucy winces, feeling like that's her fault, and watches Levy as she leaves, hurrying up the stairs without another word. She shuts her door softly behind her, leaving it cracked open just the slightest, as an invitation to come in or otherwise, Lucy doesn't know.

Juvia slips to the other side of the couch, stretching out her legs until her toes bump against Lucy's, soothing the slight sting Lucy felt as Juvia shifted away. Juvia catches Lucy's eyes, grinning, and leans over the side of the couch, reaching for the bag at her feet. Lucy watches curiously as Juvia pulls out a fiery red ball of yarn and a second pair of needles, offering them to Lucy wordlessly.

Laughing lightly, Lucy takes them, grateful for something to do and suddenly glad that her mother taught her to knit when she was younger. Lucy never liked it much, she found it boring and daydreamed the entire time, but she knows enough to be able to copy the pattern Juvia is making. Her mother used to make them as well, and Lucy would help, stitching stars into dark blue fabric, a signature of her mother's.

Her heart squeezes painfully in her chest, something bitter curling through her, but Lucy shoves it back, unwilling to let that sadness control her life. The yarn settles into her lap, soft and familiar, and Happy cracks open an eye, tail twitching as he sees it. He perks up, batting at it half-heartedly, huffing when she moves it out of his reach, sending him a disapproving stare. He re-settles easily, shifting to allow her room to work and falling back asleep.

Absently, Lucy's mind begins to wander as she knits, thoughts drifting towards her next class and what it entails. They're bonding with dragon eggs today, in a little over an hour, at that. Trepidation prickles at Lucy's skin, her head throbbing with a sudden headache, and she shoves the thoughts aside, not wanting to think about it until she absolutely has to.

She hates herself for not be excited, bonding with a dragon was something she always dreamed about, but now the thought of it terrifies her. She knows what happens to a dragon that's lost it's partner, she's seen the grief and the rage, seen the heartache.

Most of all, she's seen the destruction.

Shaking the thoughts away, Lucy copies Juvia's pattern, working slowly as she curls around Happy, sighing through her nose.

Her mind drifts to their most recent flight class, more enjoyable now that Jose has back off from both her and Natsu, though Lucy knows it's only momentarily. On Thursday, Lucy was particularly shaken by the events of the previous night, and while Jose was as scathing as ever, he gave up once he stopped receiving a response from either of them, continuing with a lesson in proper flight dynamics without another word at her expense.

Porlyusica was oddly somber during class this morning, Precht as well. Class moved by slowly, four hours feeling more like years. While Porlyusica was silent, more quiet and less volatile than usual, Precht was snappish, quick to anger and rather unlike himself. It was unnerving, but Lucy knows that tensions are running high. If she's correct in thinking that it was someone on campus that attacked the Emberwing, than Lucy knows they have more problems than Makarov is letting on.

He hasn't spoken to her since Wednesday night, much to her annoyance. She went to speak with him on Friday, after Porlyusica turned her away, but her grandfather wouldn't see her, even when she pleaded with him to open the door. He didn't budge and Lucy was left feeling angrier than she's ever been with him. He has his reasons, she know, he always does, but that doesn't mean she enjoys being shut out.

She figures that must be a family thing. All the Dreyar men she's ever known have been horrible about locking themselves away when they're hurting, relying only on themselves, even when they should know better. Laxus was always like that, especially when he was younger. As a teenager he was brash and unapologetic in everything he did. He would also lock himself away when he was upset or scared, closing himself off.

Lucy always hated when he did that, not knowing how to help if he wouldn't let her.

Not that she's any better. Lucy knows she's never been the best at sharing what's upsetting her, always dancing around the subject for as long as she can. She figures it's true what they say about old habits, but she's never had a reason to fix them, not when there was no one around to listen to her. Her father was never around enough to listen, always gone, either for his business or for the Corps when he rejoined.

She was only fourteen then. Fourteen and more alone than anyone that young should ever be. That was also the year Laxus left for Eventyr, off to the same place she is now. The next time she saw him she was nearly fifteen and he'd grown another two inches, much to her chagrin.

Everyday it hits her just a bit harder that it's been over two years since she last saw him. And she doesn't know when that goodbye is going to end.

"Everything will be okay."

Lucy's head snaps up, her eyes narrowing as she stares at Juvia from across the couch. The other girl doesn't look up from her knitting, doesn't still her hands even for a moment. Juvia begins to hum, foot tapping as she works. She continues to knit with that sunny yellow yarn, oblivious to Lucy's thoughts.

"You can't possibly know that," Lucy murmurs, shaking her head softly. She smiles at Juvia, though the quirk of her lips barely touches her eyes, feeling hollow to Lucy. The needles in her hands click together, and Lucy shifts the ball of yarn on her lap, trying to distract herself.

Juvia nudges her with her toes, a serious yet mischievous twinkle in her deep blue eyes. "You'll see," is all she says in response, Lucy frowning at her cryptic words. Lucy is about to ask what she means, but the words become stuck in her throat. She gapes for a moment, but Juvia turns away from her without another word, humming to herself as she works.

They lapse into silence, Juvia working meticulously on her project, carefully stringing it together with a practiced hand. Lucy fumbles along with her, moving slower, but no less carefully, the feeling of knitting becoming more familiar as she works. She figures it's one of the things someone can never truly forget.

Lucy knits absentmindedly, thoughts wandering as she gets lost in the song Juvia is humming, the tune unfamiliar, yet interesting. It's light, airy, and Lucy considers asking Juvia its name, but hesitates, not wanting to disrupt the silence. Eventually, she decides to ask later, Lucy lulled into a half-sleep by the song and the soft vibrations of Happy purring, the cat curled into the crook of her arm. He makes it hard to work, but Lucy manages, not having the heart to wake him.

Time ticks by, the clock fading into background noise, and eventually Lucy forgets about everything but the yarn beneath her fingers and the lazy cat snoozing on her lap, content as can be. He trills happily, rolling onto his back and twisting into an odd position that Lucy thinks should be uncomfortable.

The dorm door opens with a click several minutes later, Lucy almost not hearing it, only realizing the boys are back when Lily hops off the couch, padding towards the door and meowing loudly, alerting them that Gajeel is back. Happy peeks up blearily, sniffing at the air, he makes a soft noise, standing and stretching, but doesn't leave Lucy's lap.

The door is shoved open a moment later, the boys filing in, boxes of old take-out containers balanced in their hands, wobbling precariously when Gray and Natsu bump into each other, the two bickering under their breaths.

Gajeel notices the pair of them on the couch, frowning when he doesn't see Levy sitting with them. His eyes dart around the room, searching for her, and he quirks a brow in Lucy's direction when he can't find her. Lucy only smiles back, biting back a comment that would only embarrass Gajeel and make him cranky. Instead, she simply gestures up the stairs, silently giving Gajeel the information he wants.

Without a word, he nods, scooping up Lily before heading for the upper level, a few containers in one hand that Lucy can't imagine Levy and Gajeel being able to eat by themselves.

Gray takes one look at Juvia sitting on the couch, the smile freezing on his mouth before slipping into a frown. His gaze darts to the floor, avoiding the girls, and he shoves several containers into Natsu's hands, keeping one for himself before mumbling something about studying. He sends Lucy a smile, not looking Juvia's way even for a moment, then stalks towards the stairs before anyone can stop him.

He misses the hurt expression on Juvia's face, but Lucy doesn't.

Natsu watches Gray leave as well, something like disappointment in his eyes, but brightens when he sees Lucy and Happy curled up together. Grinning at them, he ambles over to the couch, juggling containers. Dropping them onto the coffee table, Natsu drops onto the couch between Lucy and Juvia, the later barely having enough time to jerk her legs out of the way before Natsu can squish them.

"Why are you girls knitting a bunch of hats?" he asks, frowning and wrinkling his nose. He picks at the half-formed shape in Lucy's lap, pouting when she slaps his hand away, glaring. "It's not that cold yet," he grumbles, glancing at Juvia's slightly more recognizable project.

Lucy sniffs, rolling her eyes. "They aren't hats, Natsu," she tells him, uncoiling several more inches of yarn and trying to ignore his curious gaze. Juvia giggles as Natsu plucks at the yellow yarn haphazardly tossed across the back of the couch, and Lucy can't help the fond smile on her lips. "They're dragon cozies," she admits, almost shyly. It sounds silly when she says it out loud, but Lucy knows it's a good idea for them to make them.

"Dragon what?" Natsu asks her, head snapping around, a bewildered look on his face that nearly startles her into a laugh.

Sighing, she sets down the needles, Happy leaving her lap to greet Natsu, the cat rubbing against his chin lovingly. "They're to keep the eggs warm until they hatch," she explains. In a way, she supposes they are a bit like hats, though they'll be too small for most peoples' heads, if Lucy and Juvia size them right. Perhaps they should have waited until they actually had the dragon eggs, but it would be better to get a start on them.

"Why not just stick them by the fire?" Natsu asks her, brows furrowing thoughtfully. He looks genuinely curious, and that's something Lucy can appreciate in a person. He leans into her, glancing down at her work, close enough for Lucy to notice the faint spatter of freckles across the bridge of his nose, so light she almost doesn't notice them. Her breath catches, but Lucy steadies herself before she can do anything silly.

A laugh bubbles from her throat, Natsu quirking a brow, smiling at her as he waits. "Natsu," she teases, "do you know what happens when you heat eggs?" Sticking them too close to the fire would be a horrible thing to do unless they wanted some very large boiled eggs.

"Can I help?" he asks, surprising her. Her gaze snaps up to meet his, Natsu so close she can smell him, though she can't make out his cologne. There's something honest in his gaze, a genuine willingness to help, and Lucy finds herself smiling, gaze flicking between his dark eyes and the freckles on his skin, a shade darker than his natural complexion.

"Yeah," Lucy responds softly, smiling. "Yeah, I think you can." She slips the ball of yarn into his lap, shifting so that she's pressed against his side, their shoulders brushing as she shows him how to knit.

* * *

Gray comes down a half-hour later to tell them class is about to start, but the words get stuck in his throat when he sees Natsu knitting, of all things.

* * *

Lucy's foot taps nervously as she listens to Gildarts speak, finishing his lesson on Titan Class Dragons from the week before. Most of it is review, or things Lucy already learned from her mother years ago, leaving her mind to wander, Lucy wanting to think of anything besides what's coming at the end of class.

She worries her lip between her teeth, shifting slightly and catching the attention of Levy, who sends Lucy a curious, yet concerned look. Levy's brow furrows, her lips moving as she mouths to Lucy, silently asking if she's okay. Lucy manages a smile in response, nodding only the slightest. Despite seeming unconvinced, Levy turns back to the front of the room, though not before returning Lucy's smile with one only a little less forced.

As soon as Levy looks away, Lucy settles into her seat, relaxing slightly now that there aren't eyes on her. As much as she appreciate their quiet support, Lucy feels uncomfortable with the worrying, unused to it. She's never had someone so concerned for her before, not since her mother died. Laxus and her grandfather both try to be the support she's always needed, but she knows neither of them are used to such open emotion.

Makarov tries his best; he's always been supportive of her and the things she does, but he grew up in a different time. His upbringing was harsher than hers, and she knows he feels awkward trying to comfort others, trying instead to make them smile, avoiding the hurt for as long as he can. She doesn't blame him for that. He tries, and that's what matters most to her.

Laxus is a bit more gruff, hiding his emotions behind a mask. He can't handle tears and always says the wrong thing when she's upset, but Lucy's learned to appreciate the effort, even if he doesn't help. Usually he just sits with her, waiting until she calms down, a strong presence and a hand on her back, a constant until he left two years ago. She doesn't blame Laxus either, knowing he tries his hardest and simply isn't used to helping others, not after what his father did to him.

He never told her what happened that summer before his father disappeared, but the bruise staining his arms and face painted an all too vivid picture. He was only sixteen then, and Lucy didn't ask what happened, knowing Laxus would never answer. Sometimes she wishes she tried harder.

Lucy notices Natsu eyeing her from her right, but opts to ignore him feeling slightly guilty for doing so. She knows he's only trying to help, he's been trying since Wednesday, knowing something was off. She's thankful that he didn't push the subject, Lucy unsure how she would have begun to explain the situation. Frankly, she hardly understands it herself, at times.

She appreciates the friends she's made here, but she isn't sure how to open up to them. At the party she told Natsu some things, but she was also tipsy, her tongue looser than normal. She wished she could speak about herself that freely more often, but she wouldn't know where to begin, especially in regards to her relationship with the headmaster.

A lie by omission is still a lie, after all.

Her chest going cold, Lucy can only hope that some day she'll be able to share her secrets with her newfound friends, knowing that they deserve the truth. Maybe not now, but eventually they will.

Gildarts eyes lock with hers suddenly, his gaze hesitant and questioning. He knows her situation, knows about the dragon that's attached himself to her. He pulled her aside before class began, told her she doesn't have to bond with a dragon if she doesn't want to, that the bond is two ways and the egg may not respond to her reluctance anyway. It was an out, she knows, she could choose not to bond with her intended egg, call herself one of the unlucky ones, even though she thinks she's luckier than most.

She can let fate run its course, or she can simply keep running, and Lucy doesn't know what she wants to do anymore, doesn't know what the right answer is. Her mother would tell her there are no right answers, only the choices people make. Lucy knows that one of her choices would make a coward of her, and that's not what she wants.

Her gaze rips away from Gildarts, Lucy staring down at her hands. Her nails dig into her palms, but Lucy hardly notices.

It's not that she doesn't want to bond with a dragon egg, no, that's something she's dreamed of doing since she first learned of the bond from her mother, when she was no older than six. She's always wanted that connection with a dragon, that immediate trust and unconditional love build from a single moment in which they both chose each other, both wanted each other. It's always sounded magical to her, like something out of a fairy tale. But that's the thing with fairy tales, they aren't real. As spectacular as the bond sounds, Lucy knows better that to think they're something magical.

She's seen what happens to those who are bonded with a dragon, she's seen the destruction it causes, the _death_. They make the bonding sound so spectacular, but they never say what comes later.

She didn't lie, when she told Makarov Thuban isn't hers. She isn't his either, not really. He was bonded to her mother, not for long, of course, her mother was only was only thirty-two when she died. Thuban was only bonded to her for fourteen-years, which seems like ages, until Lucy remembers that some riders and dragons have been bonded for decades.

Her mother's death hit the dragon hard. Thuban's reaction was violent, to say the very least. He nearly burned down a cathedral in Fiore, the building was in flames within seconds, people screaming for help as they were trapped inside. They were lucky no one was killed that day, that they managed to put out the fire in time.

It could have been so much worse than it was, but it rattled Lucy to her core, gave her a glimpse of what no one tells them about the dragons and their instincts. It showed her what everyone tries so hard to hide.

Dragons are greedy by nature, almost brutally so. Her mother was as much Thuban's as the dragon was hers, and leasing his bonded destroyed that dragon. It sent him rampaging. Buildings were destroyed, people were injured, an apple orchard was burned to nothing. Thuban lost something he considered his own, and that destroyed him. He nearly killed people, and, while not uncommon for dragons to do, it was one of the most terrible things Lucy ever experienced. She'll never forget being so terrified of a creature so gentle with her.

They almost killed him for it, her grandfather and other high members of the Dragonology community. He was too dangerous to be left alone, and they never thought he would accept another partner. And while dragons aren't easy to kill, it can still be done.

Lucy was disgusted at the time, never knowing the dragon as anything but gentle, but looking back she understands. He was a danger, and if she wasn't able to calm him, she knows it would have been the right decision.

But she did calm him, in her own way. Lucy's always been told how much she looks like her mother, nearly identical, though her eyes are a shade lighter, her mother's a more earthy tone, almost black at times. It was her face, so much like her mother's, that calmed the rampaging dragon.

He imprinted onto her, and they formed a bond of their own, forged from the hurt of losing someone they both loved.

She doesn't know how he'd react to her bonding with a second dragon, if he'd become violent or not, and that scares her, probably more than it should. Dragons are greedy, and Lucy isn't sure she wants to test one's ability to share. She doesn't want to face those consequences.

Something bumps against her hand suddenly, gaining Lucy's rapt attention. She glances to her left, frowning when she sees a paper flower resting by her fingers, bright red and crafted carefully. It's a cherry blossom, she thinks, though she can't be sure. Lucy's gaze flicks towards Natsu, but he isn't looking at her, pretending to be fascinated with Gildarts lesson. There's a small, secretive smile on his lips, one he tries to smother, but can't seem to push down.

Gently, she scoops the flower into her palm, rolling it with her fingers. She doesn't know where he got the paper for it, not knowing he was into origami. Though, she thinks she should have expected it. He has deft fingers, she's come to notice. He took up knitting easily today, on par with Lucy, though she considers herself average at best.

She never would have guessed he'd be good at something so delicate, not for lack of want, but simply because of how rough his hands look. Things look like they could break so easily under his touch, but he's always careful with them, gentle.

Lucy thinks she might judge people too quickly. The first time she saw Natsu she thought he was a troublemaker, someone that picked fights whenever they could. While she doesn't think she was entirely wrong, she can admit that she pinned him too quickly.

Smiling, Lucy twists the flower in her grip, staring at it from all sides. She can feel Natsu's eyes on her, gauging her reaction, and Lucy glances over at him, their eyes locking for only a moment. He clears his throat, gaze ripping away from hers quickly, and Lucy bites back a laugh when she sees the embarrassed flush staining his face all the way down to his chest. It's light hardly noticeable against his skin, but she sees it anyway.

Gildarts suddenly claps his hands together, startling the majority of the class, most of which dozing, Gildarts' lesson easily ignored. Lucy wrinkles her nose, not understanding why people wouldn't pay attention to such important information. Though, she thinks that may be a bit hypocritical of her to think, considering she was doing the exact same thing.

"I'm sorry," Gildarts calls out, a too nice smile on his face that Lucy knows means he isn't happy. "Am I boring you all to death?" he asks the class, seeming satisfied when several students cringe at being caught. Gildarts smile is suddenly all teeth, his gaze sharp as he looks around the room. "If you'd rather leave, we can end class here." A handful of students have to smother grins, trying not to look too excited. Gildarts notices however, unpleased. "Of course, then you miss out on the fun part of class." That catches everyone's attention quickly, bright eyes turning to Gildarts, excitement curling through the air.

He doesn't have to say it, everyone already knows that today's class is a very special one. The dragon eggs have been removed from their glass cases, laid out in baskets, nestled between blankets.

Gildarts glances around the room, taking in the wonder in their eyes, and his annoyance slips into something softer, almost amusement but there's something serious there as well. "These eggs here?" he says evenly, voice firm as he gestures to the eggs scattered across the table on the far wall, a multitude of colors and sizes, but all housing the same things. "These eggs are finally reaching the midpoint of their maturity," he explains, "and are ready for bonding." Gildarts takes a deep breath, eyes heavy as he looks at the eggs, and Lucy suddenly remembers that he lost his own bonded dragon years earlier. Her heart squeezes, Lucy wincing at the thought, but she shoves it aside. "Their consciousness will call out to yours and you'll have a new life partner."

The room is silent for once, emotions ranging from ecstatic to fearful, and Lucy is relieved to find she's not the only nervous one. A lifetime commitment isn't an easy one to make, especially not for people so young. She supposes it's a bit like having children, though theirs will have teeth and claws and will grow to be larger than them in less than a year. Dragons are dangerous, deadly even, and they don't like to be controlled.

She knows that's why the disciplinary course exists. Their eggs aren't likely to hatch for several months yet, not until at least March. They'll be given the summer to bond with their new dragon, and in the fall training will begin. By then, those dragons could as big as their humans are, possibly bigger.

"I want you all to know," Gildarts continues, "that this is a very serious situation." The smiles leave everyone's faces, something somber settling in the room, a heaviness. Gildarts stares at them almost sadly, and Lucy wonders if he's thinking about his old partner. She knows a severed bond can turn dragons mad, but she never considered what happens to the humans that lose their dragons in combat. She wonders if it's a bit like losing a piece of oneself.

Gildarts sighs, and when he speaks his voice quivers. "These dragons will be your responsibility from the moment you touch them until the moment one of you draws your last breath," he says, stern, and there's a crack in his voice that makes Lucy wince.

A student Lucy doesn't know raises her hand, fingers shaking just the slightest. Gildarts nods, allowing her to speak, and the girl bites her lip, hesitating for only a moment. "How does the bonding work?" she asks softly, barely loud enough for the class to hear.

"No one's sure," Gildarts tells her, sending the girl a small, reassuring smile. "It's just something that feels right." The girl looks at him, dubious, but Gildarts only shrugs. "I know that's not much of an answer," he tells the class, "but you'll understand once you connect with that egg."

The next few minutes are a blur to Lucy. Gildarts continues to speak, but Lucy doesn't know what he's saying, the sound of his voice drowned out by her pulse pounding in her ears. Lucy's breaths come in sharp, erratic gasps, though she tries to keep them quiet. Her nerves build, hands shaking slightly, and from the corner of her eye she can see Natsu staring at her, concerned. On her left, Levy places a hand on her arm, rubbing soothing circles against her skin, but not saying anything. She's grateful for that, not wanting to talk.

They don't press her, even though she's sure she's worrying them. She knows she has a choice here, but she won't know which one is right until after she's already made it. And she does have to make a choice. Walking away from it all would be the easy way, you could choose not to accept the bond, but she knows what happens to rejected eggs.

They don't hatch, so lost in their grief at being abandoned that they stay dormant for centuries, the life inside lost. They become nothing more than decorations, placed on pedestals, beautiful and powerful. Most are worth a fortune, as much as precious gems.

Makarov, she knows, has a wide range of dormant eggs in his collection, some several centuries old, including a Blightwing egg, gold and the size of Lucy's torso, one of only three remaining in existence. It's been passed down the Dreyar line for years, and she knows her grandfather would never dream of selling it, the egg a prized possession.

Natsu settles down beside her suddenly, Lucy unaware that he left. He has an egg tucked close to his chest, the shell a mottles pattern of black and red, its texture rough. Where the red peeks through the, it seems to pulse, almost glowing, a light flickering.

She tears her gaze away, staring down at her hands, and forces herself not to look up when she feels Natsu's fingers brush against the back of her hand, a quiet comfort.

Her stomach twists unpleasantly, her throat closing up, and Lucy bites her lip roughly, almost hard enough to draw blood. It stings, but she doesn't stop, not knowing what else to do.

Gildarts calls her name suddenly, snapping her out of her thoughts. His eyes lock with hers, concerned, but Lucy ignores his expression as she stands, forcing herself not to tremble as she ignores her friends and walks over to her professor and table of dragon eggs, less than half remaining.

"Miss Heartfilia," he whispers when she comes closer, "you're up." She gives a sharp nod, arms wrapping around herself almost protectively, and Gildarts sighs, placing a hand on her shoulder. "You don't have to do this, you know," he reminds her, squeezing her shoulder. "It's not unheard of for someone not to bond with a dragon." No, she agrees, but it is uncommon. And she'd still have to explain the Belerion that's bonded with her through heartbreak.

Gildarts seems to sense her unease. "If this makes you uncomfortable, you don't have to do it," he repeats, firmer this time.

Lucy replies immediately with, "I want to." Her answer shocks Gildarts, whose eyes go wide, a brow quirking in shock at her response. But Lucy means it. She wants to do this, wants to know what it's like to have that bond. And if the dragons don't get alone, then she'll damn well make them.

She sends Gildarts a small, reassuring smile that's more steady than she feels, but Lucy steels herself, feeling lighter when he nods, almost unnoticeably so. Hesitating for only a moment, Gildarts gestures towards the table, beckoning her towards the glimmering eggs.

Taking a deep breath, Lucy squeezes her eyes shut, reminding herself that it's a choice she has to make, a choice she'll have to stand behind for the rest of her life. It won't be easy, but he mother always told her that nothing easy was worth it. It's the struggle that counts. She doesn't know how right her mother was, but Lucy always trusted her.

Lucy takes a cautious step forward, hesitating only a moment as her hands hover over the table, bracing herself for what's to come. Her fingers twitch, unsure whether to cling to the table edge or drop to her sides. She should have been paying more attention earlier, having no idea how to go about this. Gildarts said they would _know_ , that they'd have a feeling, but Lucy doesn't know how much she believes that.

Slowly, her fingertips graze the hard surface of the table, the wood dark beneath her touch, nearly black. Lucy stares at the rows of eggs, swallowing thickly, and sucks in a deep breath as she places her palms flat against the table.

Nothing happens, but she doesn't think she was expecting anything to. Several seconds tick by, each one making Lucy's stomach twist into tighter knots. Lucy goes back to worrying her lip, trying to calm her frazzled nerves, not wanting to panic in the middle of class, all too aware of the eyes watching her.

Something pulls at her mind, so soft she barely feels it. Her eyes snap open and the tug strengthens, Lucy's hands moving on their own accord. She's unable to stop them, fingers wandering through the rows of eggs, bypassing several before coming to rest just above an egg she hadn't noticed before.

The tips of her fingers settle on something glossy and blue, the egg beneath her touch coated in a layer of fine, soft scales, a protective layer that she knows will flake off in time. The egg pulses under her touch, a soft light emitting from the center, flickering like a heartbeat.

Again, something pulls at her thoughts, drawing her closer, and Lucy lets her fingers wander across the egg's glossy surface, feeling the smooth shell and beneath her touch. The light flickers, the egg warming beneath her touch, and Lucy feels herself relax, a small smile forming on her lips as she considers the dragon egg, knowing she can either take it or walk away, sealing both their fates.

Lucy takes a deep breath, and then her palms settle against the sides of the egg.

* * *

 **AN: Okay, so there's probably a few mistakes here, and I forget to send out previews this week, but I got busy finishing up the final chapter of Berserk and just kind of forgot to edit and stuff! As always, thank you to everyone who reviews!**

 **Got a favorite line? Let me know it a review down below!**

 **Much like I do with Berserk, I've decided that for every 500th review of this fic, I'll be taking a fic request from the 500th reviewer! It can be anything from this universe (something with the history, or perhaps a side chapter about one of the other characters in this story who may not be at the for front!). I'll respond to the reviewer in a PM and you'll have 48 hours to respond!**


	10. Chapter 10

**AN: Be sure to drop a review when you're done! Enjoy!**

* * *

 **Igniparous**

 **Chapter Ten**

The egg sitting on her dresser glints in the light spilling through the open window, the scaled pattern on the shell casting blue shadows across the wall. They dance, flickering as the clouds shift outside, and Lucy traces a finger along the side of the egg, feeling it warm beneath her touch, reacting to her presence. The shell quickly grows to a scalding temperature the longer she touches it, and she jerks away with a slight hiss, her fingers tinged red.

It concerned her, at first, how violent the egg seemed to react to her touch, but Gildarts explained to her that it was natural. Dragon eggs emit heat when they're comfortable, radiating a warmth meant to comfort their partner in return. He laughed when Lucy help her egg cautiously in her hands, patting her on the head and joking that human skin isn't nearly as hearty as dragon scales, and what might be pleasant to the thick skin of a dragon mother is considered a first degree burn to Lucy.

Natsu's had it worse than her, in the burn department. He ended up with some kind of fire demon masquerading as a dragon. The molten egg nearly burned through the cozy she and Juvia made for it, singing small holes through the fabric until Gray was able to place a low level magic spell on the cloth making it resistant to the eggs heat. Natsu's fingers have been burned more times than Lucy's have, and blisters formed on his palms soon after he bonded with the egg.

He complained, of course, cursing at the unresponsive egg, but it paid him no mind, continuing to burn on until Lyon found a bucket and made ice cubes with his magic, Gray laughing too hard to help his friend. The bucket nearly worked, too, until the ice melted and the water began to boil, exploding in the middle of their dorm and splattering them all with scalding water.

Luckily, none of them were injured too badly, Natsu's pride suffering the brunt of it.

Gildarts refused to tell them what breed of dragon it was, not allowing them to search through any books to find it. He told them it was supposed to be a surprise and that sometimes it's better to grow attached to the eggs before learning the breed, as there are some with particularly nasty reputations. Lucy figures Natsu's egg is one such dragon, but their Professor refused to explain any further.

Snorting, Lucy shakes her head, imagining the smug look on Gildarts face when that egg hatches. She gets the feeling that dragon is going to be some kind of terror, and she has no doubt that Gildarts is going to find it all kinds of hilarious. He seems like the type to enjoy the surprise of others. Not necessarily in a mean way, but Lucy can't help but wonder if their professor might be some kind of sadist.

She supposes that's not really something she wants to know.

Her finger traces the side of the egg, a blue light flickering from within, pulsing in time with her heartbeat. She sighs, the pad of her thumb catching on one of the scales as she drags it up the side of the shell. It slices through her skin, and Lucy jerks back with a hiss as blood dots her finger. Frowning, she turns away from the egg, staring at her injured hand thoughtfully.

Her lip curls back as she drops her hand onto the top of her dresser, uncaring of the blood smearing across the wood. Her fingers begin drumming across the surface of the dresser, Lucy worrying her lip as she stares at the streak of red.

It isn't the first time a dragon has made her bleed recently, she muses, grimacing in disgust at the blood slipping down her finger. Thuban was less than pleased to find her bonded to another dragon. He picked a fight when she brought the egg to him, more of tantrum than anything else, and Lucy accidentally cut her palm on one of his sharp scales.

It wounded her pride more than anything else, betrayal hurting more than the cut on her palm. Thuban hardly appeared to notice her distress, continuing to rage around her. He only calmed once he saw and smelled the blood, going very still when Lucy flinched away from his touch.

It wasn't a bad cut, nothing more than a thin slice across her palm that stopped bleeding within minutes, but the fact that it was caused by Thuban hurt her more than she's willing to admit. She doesn't blame him, exactly, but she doesn't know how to deal with all of it by herself. Thuban was never supposed to be hers, it was merely circumstance that pushed them together.

She needs to speak with Makarov about him, she just hasn't had the chance to do it.

Thuban apologized to her, in his own way, trilling softly and nosing at her, hoping to make her feel better, but it only made her tremble harder. She ended up breaking down in his stall, collapsing in on herself. Thuban stayed with her while she cried, frustrated with herself for being unable to hold it together. She's never liked crying, hating how itchy it makes her eyes. Her father always told her it was a sign of weakness, and she was never sure whether or not to believe him.

Lucy's been back to Thuban twice since it happened, hesitant, unsure how he might react to her even without the egg, but knowing she can't simply abandon him like that. She probably shouldn't have brought it with her the first time, but she panicked, not knowing what she should do. The dragon hasn't accepted the egg by any means, but he hasn't reacted violently since the first day.

She can only hope they'll learn to get along, even if it takes time. She still has several months before the egg will hatch, it should be enough time for her to figure things out.

There's a knock on Lucy's door, and her head snaps up in time to see Levy slip through the open doorframe, the shorter girl chewing her lip as she stares at Lucy, expression concerned. "Hey," she murmurs, eyes widening when she sees the blood on Lucy's hand, still dripping blood onto the dress. "Are you okay?" Levy asks, gasping as she rushes into the room to inspect Lucy's wound. Levy mumbles something, concerned, but Lucy merely laughs it off, promising that she's fine, though Levy doesn't seem convinced.

"Are you sure?" Levy sends her a wary look, gaze flicking between Lucy's eyes and blood hand. Her head tilts to the side, and Levy looks away as she catches her lower lip between her teeth, worrying it. "You've been kind of off since…" she trails off, wincing and looking mildly ashamed, and Lucy stiffens, her lips pressing into a thin line.

Lucy cracks a bitter smile, her eyes going cold as she stares down at the egg sitting on her dresser innocently, blue light continuing to pulse, each flash coming faster as if sensing Lucy's panic. "Since I found a dying and terrified dragon in the middle of the night?" she finishes for Levy, glancing at the other girl, grin sarcastic. Immediately, Lucy feels guilt prickle at her when she sees Levy flinch, but she shoves it down, hands beginning to shake as she recalls the news she was given only hours earlier.

Levy's expression falls, her eyes widening a fraction. "The Emberwing didn't make it," she murmurs, a fact more than a question.

With a wince, Lucy nods, chewing at her lip as she searches her room for anything to keep her hands occupied. The sudden urge to smash something comes to her full force, but she shakes her head, hands balling into fists. She knows better than to give way to violence. That's something Laxus would do, not her.

"Porlyusica finally spoke with me yesterday," Lucy whispers to Levy, abandoning the egg on her dresser and walking over to the door of her balcony. She pushes it open, slipping outside into the fresh air, feeling Levy hovering behind her. "It didn't make it through the first night." She rests her elbows on the railing, absently picking at a vine curling from the flowerbox.

Levy joins her, a soft gasp coming from the girl as Lucy's words register. "Oh, Lucy," she murmurs, reaching out to place a comforting hand on her shoulder. Lucy stiffens at the sudden touch, but leans into Levy a moment later, appreciating it. "I'm so sorry."

Lucy waves her off, smiling like she's fine, though she feels anything but.

"It doesn't matter," she says, shrugging. It couldn't be helped, there was nothing more she could do, but she can't help the niggling feeling that she should have done more. Maybe if they left the library just a few minutes earlier the dragon would have made it. Or maybe it wouldn't have been hurt at all. It's a pointless way of thinking, but she doesn't know how else to deal with it. "I'm fine," she lies.

Levy looks like she wants to say something else, but Lucy changes the subject before she can, not wanting to be told something she already knows. "Do you ever wonder why certain eggs choose certain people?" she asks, clearing her throat when her voice cracks.

The bonding process makes no logical sense, at least, none that Lucy can understand. All of them were paired with very different eggs, most breeds Lucy has never seen before, all Broadwing Class, but that's the only unifying thing.

The only egg she recognized was a Skree, and that's only because Laxus' dragon Birgir is the same breed. Known for residing high in the clouds and chasing thunderstorms, Skree have a peculiar way of "breathing fire." Their second lung chamber is much smaller than most Broadwings, and instead of releasing plumes of fire, they seem content to create sparks, electrocution being their only defense.

A Skree fit well with Laxus, her cousin having an affinity for lightning, but she doesn't know why Sting would be matched with one. He seems a bit eccentric, but that doesn't seem to be enough reason for him to be paired with a Skree.

The entire process of bonding seems messy to Lucy, almost nonsensical at times.

Levy herself was paired with an egg nearly half her size. Big and green with a rough, uneven texture, the egg weighed a ton and could only be carried with the help of Gajeel. It was a wonder they even got it up the stairs without something happening, either to the dragon or them.

The bonding seems almost random, but Lucy can't deny the pull she felt when her hands were hovering over that egg, as if it were calling out to her.

"What do you mean?" Levy asks after several long seconds, considering Lucy's question carefully. Her eyes narrow slightly, and Lucy notices the dark bags under her eyes that Levy was trying to hide, makeup smeared beneath her eyes, though it does little to conceal them.

Lucy takes a deep breath, shaking her head slowly. "Why did that egg choose me?" she clarifies, fingers drumming against the balcony railing softly. "What makes me any different from everyone else?" It seems like a strange game of chance, if she thinks about it, but Lucy wishes she had more answers.

"I don't know," Levy tells her quietly.

She cracks a smile, shaking her head. "No, I don't think anyone does," she murmurs, playing with the petals of one of the flowers in the box, something small and golden that she can't be bothered to remember the name of. A phoenix flower, she thinks, but she can't be sure. "Are you okay?" she asks Levy a moment later, remembering her odd behavior the other day.

If something's wrong, then she wants to help. Levy's done enough to comfort her lately, even when she didn't know what was wrong, and she wants to do the same.

Levy makes a small sound of surprise, a frown marring her features as she turns towards Levy, confused. "Me?" she questions, head tilting to the side curiously. "Why wouldn't I be?" she replies, brown eyes blinking rapidly.

Shrugging, Lucy says, "You ran off the other day, when we were talking about…" She trails off much like Levy did, not wanting to say it out loud. It's hard for all of them to think about, that someone is hurting dragons. Makarov can say they aren't sure what happened as much as he wants, but Lucy knows it wasn't just a fight between dragons. Maybe if it only happened once she could believe that, but a second attack happened only two nights ago, and Lucy knows it's not just a coincidence. "I just thought something was wrong," she murmurs, swallowing thickly.

"Oh. That?" Levy flushes, fiddling with her uniform skirt as she glances up, staring at the clouds overhead. "It was—"

"Don't say it was nothing Levy," Lucy cuts her off, a slight hiss to her words. She purses her lips, glancing at her friend out of the corner of her eyes, watching as Levy winces slightly, rubbing her bare arms as a breeze blows by, ruffling her blue hair. "We may not have known each other long," Lucy continues, thinking about how it's only been a little over a month, "but it's never just nothing when it comes to you."

Levy is more brilliant than she lets on, reading everything she can get her hands on. The two of them take constant trips to the library whenever they can, usually with Natsu in tow as the pair of them try to help him study. Lucy appreciate the other girl's help, Levy's photographic memory making studying easier for the both of them.

"I was just looking into a theory," Levy tells her after a moment of hesitation, avoiding Lucy's gaze as she stares at the ground. She pushes her hair away from her eyes, righting the bright, orange bandana in her hair. "But I didn't come up with anything." She shrugs, sighing, and Lucy realizes how exhausted she looks, figuring Levy must have been pulling all-nighters for several days now.

Lucy's frown only deepens but her curiosity outweighs her concern momentarily. "What theory?" she asks quietly.

She takes a deep breath, rubbing at her tired eyes and smudging her makeup, uncaring of the dark smear below her left eye. "About why someone would want to hurt the dragons," she says, just as softly as Lucy, glancing around as if someone might be listening in.

"And did you find anything?" Lucy asks her, turning around and resting her back against the railing, staring back into her room, watching the egg on her dresser. The scales glint in the light, almost mocking as they twinkle like stars. Levy turns as well, shaking her head.

"Not really," she admits. "There've always been people against dragons being kept as…" she trails off awkwardly, wrinkling her nose, " _pets_ , but no would be foolish enough to start killing dragons in a place like this." Levy's words are firm, but there's a hint of uncertainty lurking beneath.

Lucy glances at her, considering what Levy told her. "Apparently someone would," she murmurs back.

Awhile later, Lucy and Levy leave the room, heading down the stairs and into the main area, the dorm strangely silent despite there being twenty minutes until Flight Theory begins. Usually there's someone running around in a panic at this point, struggling to finish whatever homework Jose might have given them or preparing for the surprise test Porlyusica is sure to spring on them at anytime, their mid-term exams looming closer, coming in only two weeks.

It's hard to believe how much time has passed so quickly. An entire month passed them by without Lucy even realizing it. They managed a month of peace before the dragons started getting hurt, though she doesn't know what that means for the rest of the semester.

Everything's been stilted, in a way. They've been running through the motions of school, the days blurring together. Not much has changed since their first week. Dragonology is still her favorite course, and Flight Theory is still a pain. Jose may have stopped giving Natsu after class detentions, but he certainly hasn't lessened his dislike for her. He hasn't been nearly as bad as he was, never bringing up her mother since the first time, but his snide comments haven't stopped, and he's only begun calling her out in class more as the weeks go by.

Their weapons class has going well for all of them, though Levy seems to struggle with the class. Gajeel has been teaching her on the weekends, Levy too busy studying with Porlyusica on Fridays to go to Macao's extra lessons. Lucy's had a few more run-ins with Jackal, though Macao tries to keep them apart. Mostly, he just glares at her, his smile too wide like he's biding his time. It doesn't sit well with her, but she's opted to ignore him, knowing he isn't worth worrying over. It remains one of her favorite parts of the week, honestly. She's enjoyed grappling with others, and Lucy is excited about them beginning with swords next week, making her anxious to know of any fencing classes she may be able to take next semester.

The only real change in routine lately has been Lucy dropping out of the offered course in Spellwork. She discussed it with Professor Gaebolg, both of them agreeing that her mana levels are too low for her to safely perform magic. It hadn't come as much of a blow to her, Lucy's expectations low when it came to her magic. She'd learned to push just a bit of her magic out the tip of her finger, a trail of golden dust trailing from her hand when she moved. And she can create small lights now, just enough to illuminate a room, but she rarely uses it, content with using a phone or a lamp, not wanting to push it.

Gajeel also opted to leave the course, choosing instead to join the Government course Levy's taking with professor Arcadios. Gajeel finds it as much of a bore as Lucy does, though Levy seems to enjoy it. While Lucy doubts she'll remember much from the course, it _has_ helped her form a rather close friendship with Gajeel. They bicker quite a bit, Gajeel always trying to pick a fight, but Lucy doesn't mind in the slightest.

Despite the dragons dying and Jose Porla making her class time miserable, Lucy thinks the semester has been going decently. There haven't been any dragon related accidents, and everyone is passing their classes. In Dragonology, they've been working with Sprites, and though Gray was nipped by a Wick, a small creature with a nasty temper, he'd received little more than a cut above his brow. He laughed it off, waving away Gajeel and Natsu when they went to check on him, blood sliding down the side of Gray's face.

It'll leave a small scar, but Gray doesn't seem to care much about that.

Things are still tense between him and Juvia, the pair of them walking on eggshells around each other. Lucy doesn't know exactly what happened, but Juvia eventually told her and Levy that she hooked up with Gray during the party a few weeks back, and that Juvia likes Gray a bit more than he seems to like her.

She said nothing else on the subject, waving off their questions, and Lucy decided not to push her, knowing that Juvia is the type to grow attached to people quickly. Gray's rebuff must have stung, though they seem to be working things out, albeit slowly. Lucy can only hope everything works out for them.

The semester is winding down quicker than she realized, and she knows that soon it will be winter break. The castle will go quiet again, when that happens, she'll be alone here, with only a few other stragglers. Before, that wouldn't have bothered her at all. Lucy was always used to being alone, but she's found that the friends she's made have a way of getting beneath her skin. She's come to appreciate them more than she ever would have guessed, warming to them quickly and letting herself become attached.

She's going to miss them when they leave, but luckily they'll have ways of staying in contact even if they are miles apart.

Lucy shakes her head, sighing to herself as she follows Levy down the stairs, glancing around the silent dorm curiously, wondering where everyone is. Lisanna, she knows, went to speak with Porlyusica about her notes in biology, and Meredy and Lyon went with her. Yukino should be at the library, and Lucy thinks Sting and Rogue went with her. Though, that still leaves the other three boys, and Lucy knows how loud they can be, even if it's just the three of them.

Her gaze flicks around the room, noticing it's only Juvia and Gray sitting in the main area, sitting on opposite ends of one of the couches and ignoring each other by the looks of it. Juvia is busy knitting something, a large blanket by the looks of it, and Gray keeps fiddling with his phone, only glancing up when he hears Levy padding across the floor, her heels clicking against the wood floors.

His eyes flick between the two of them, and he frowns as he sets his phone to the side. "Hello, Ladies," he greets them, raising one hand in a poor attempt at waving. He grimaces, nose wrinkling, and his voice is gruffer than normal, low and thick with worry. Gray avoids their gazes when she and Levy slip into the room, and Levy looks at Lucy, the pair sharing a glance before turning back to the sullen male.

"Gray," Levy greets him in return, eyes narrowing slightly as her gaze flicks between him and Juvia suspiciously, silently questioning his poor mood. He simply ignores her, gaze jumping back to his phone as it buzzes with a notification. His nose wrinkles and Gray ignores it, the message clearly not what he was waiting for.

After a long stretch of silence, Levy slips over to Juvia, eyeing Gray one last time before she settles beside Juvia on the couch, turning to chat with the other girl when it appears that Gray isn't about to respond to her any time soon.

Lucy quirks a brow, watching Gray as she drops onto the nearest chair. Gray doesn't even look at her, he just continues to frown, staring down at his phone like he's waiting for something important. Lucy frowns, head cocking to the side as she blinks at him, concerned. "You're looking rather somber today," she tells him teasingly, and Gray's eyes snap up to meet hers. "Well," she corrects herself, "more somber than usual."

Something isn't right.

Gray doesn't crack a smile like he usually would at the jokes about his moody nature, just turns away from her, stiffening at her joking accusation, as if something really _is_ wrong. His blue eyes snap to his lap, and Gray wets his lips nervously, a habit of his she's noticed over the past few weeks. He rarely does it, only when he's lying during poker night and when he tells his mother he's receiving top marks in his classes.

Well normally stoic, even Gray has his tells, though he must be loath to admit them.

Lucy exchanges a look with Levy, unsure what to do. Something feels very wrong about the situation: the room too quiet and Gray more aloof than usual. Lucy doesn't like it at all, the air feels too similar to when she and Natsu found that Emberwing, something heavy surrounding them.

"What happened?" Levy asks Gray after a tense moment of silence. Her voice quivers, Levy's brow furrowing with worry when Gray doesn't appear to acknowledge her. "Gray?" She reaches out slowly, placing a hand on his shoulder, and Gray sighs, glancing at her hesitantly. Swearing under his breath, he tosses his phone onto the coffee table and leans back into his seat, running his hand down the side of his face.

Gray hesitates before he responds, his eyes heavy and clouded with rage when he glances at them, lips pressed into a thin, tight line. His teeth grind together, a muscle jumping in Gray's jaw as it clenches, and Lucy watches as his hands curl into fists. Finally, he clears his throat, eyes flicking between Lucy and Levy. "They found another dragon," he murmurs, not needing to elaborate for them to understand.

Levy gasps and Lucy winces, an icy hand curling through her ribcage and squeezing at her heart. She winces, biting her lower lip, and curls into a tight ball on the chair. Happy pads across the floor, the bell on his collar jingling as he runs, and then he hops onto the chair beside her, chirping softly to get her attention.

Lucy hardly hears him, lost in her thoughts. That's three attacks now, and she doubts that's a coincidence. The dragons at Eventyr have lived together for years, and she's never heard of any problems between them. It's a large castle, there's plenty of space for all of them. Even the dragon species that don't get along tend to leave each other be. Lucy knows there's a colony of Rednose Bumblehorns that live in the old dungeons, hiding away in the dark where no one bothers them, and the Dusktails that don't get along with them have migrated to the bell tower, sleeping among the rafters and only coming out in the evening when the bell is rung.

A dragon wouldn't go out of its way to attack another, and even if they would, it should have been an isolated incident.

"An Emberwing?" Levy asks quietly, a frown marring her face. She chews her lower lip, wringing her hands in her lap, and Lucy understands the question immediately. The first two attacks were on Emberwings, and if that's a pattern, it means they might be able to stop it, or at least take protect measures to keep the dragons safe. It could just be a Calderin, the largest breed of Sprites has a nasty habit of attacking Emberwings for their eggs, though they aren't laid until later in winter, hatching during the spring.

Still, it's a possibility.

But Gray shakes his head, rubbing at his tired eyes and ignoring the buzzing of his phone. "A Yellowjacket," he informs them, sinking back into the couch cushions and absently rubbing at Frosch's head when the kitten climbs into his lap, batting at his tie playfully.

"What?" Levy snaps, eyes snapping open wide.

Lucy shakes her head, frowning at Gray and running her fingertips down the length of Happy's spine, making him purr. "There are no Yellowjackets on campus," she murmurs, silently trying to remember what Makarov told her about them.

They're aggressive dragons, Sprite Class, but nasty things, named for hornets. They're fast, black save for the toxic yellow spines on their tail and back. They travel in flocks, swarming predators and pray and stabbing them with the venomous barbs on their bodies. They're smaller than most other Sprites, the size of a common house cat at the largest, but they're rarely alone.

It would be hard to kill a Yellowjacket, but not impossible, especially if it were by itself. If someone had proper equipment and could avoid the spines, they're relatively defenseless.

"Apparently it was one Gildarts was going to show us for class this week," Gray explains, and Lucy winces, feeling sick. Levy and Juvia look much the same, wearing similar expressions to what Lucy must have. Gray scratches Frosch's ears, continuing softly. "They found what was left of it in his office," he whispers.

Lucy stiffs, stomach churning as the words register in her mind. _What was left of it_. Her eyes snap to Gray's, imploring, and he sighs, wincing. "Something… burned it," is all he says, unwilling to say more.

"Someone broke into Gildarts office and killed his dragon," Juvia repeats, speaking up for the first time. She looks like she wants to cry, sitting there pressed against Levy's side, her lip caught between her teeth and her eyes brimming with tears, too glossy to be natural. Her fingers comb through her long, blue hair, twirling it around her fingers almost nervously.

Gray glances at her from over Levy's head, his gaze softening when he meets her eyes, some of the tension draining from him. "Yeah," he mumbles, speaking more to Juvia than the rest of them. "Natsu said he's pretty torn up about it," he tacks on, clearing his throat and looking at Lucy for a moment. "He was going to go ask Gildarts what classes he was offering next semester," Gray shrugs, looking at his lap, "found him and some second year named Mest outside Gildarts office. The entire hallway was blocked off."

"Gajeel went with him," he continues after a moment, clearing his throat. Levy's head snaps up at the sound of Gajeel's name, her gaze locking on Gray. "Something about family bonding time." Gray snickers, shaking his head with a fond smile on his face. "I think they were gonna call their dads."

"And they want to keep calling it an animal attack," Levy murmurs, scoffing as she plays with Lily's tail, the black cat crawling into her lap.

Juvia nods, wincing slightly. "Dragons do not do this to each other," she whispers, curling into a tight ball on the couch, her arms wrapping tight around her legs as she pulls her knees close to her chest, resting her chin atop them. "Yellowjackets are territorial," she continues, recalling Gildarts lesson on them recently. "But if it was being kept by itself it should have been…" She doesn't finish, shaking her head.

Lucy sighs as she tickles Happy under his chin. "There's something they're not telling us." Hurt floods through her, Lucy feeling like she's been kicked. Her grandfather is keeping something from her, even if she doesn't know quite what it is. He's been acting strange lately, refusing to talk to her, and always making idle conversation when he does, asking about her roommates and how she's settling in. It isn't like him to avoid conversations like that.

Gray snorts, gently setting Frosch aside before standing and stretching, his shoulders cracking loudly. Juvia watches him, frowning, but Gray doesn't look at her again. "Isn't there always?" he mumbles, so soft Lucy almost doesn't hear him.

He smiles at them suddenly, almost too wide. "Come on, Ladies," he calls, straightening his tie and heading for the door. "I'll walk you to class." Despite going to the same place, Gray's developed a habit of arriving later than the rest of them, showing up just before class starts. She's learned that he tends to fiddle with his clothes when he becomes restless, stripping himself in the middle of class.

It's only happened once, in Warrod's class, but their professor only told him to "please keep your undergarments on, Mister Fullbuster" before continuing with his lesson.

The later Gray shows up, the less likely he is to undress.

"You don't have to," Levy tells him, standing as well and gathering her bag from where she dropped it beside the couch. Juvia and Lucy do the same.

"I know," is all Gray says.

* * *

By the time they got to Flight Theory, Natsu and Gajeel were already there waiting for them, twenty minutes left before class began. They'd smiled, greeted them normally, but the spark was gone from both of them, the males clearly shaken by whatever they saw that afternoon. Neither of them said a word about it, and Lucy didn't ask, not wanting to push them. She hadn't wanted to talk about what she saw either, and she gets it. Seeing a creature ripped apart and beaten isn't something anyone wants to remember.

Lucy settled into her seat beside Natsu and, without a word, took his hand in hers, linking their fingers together and trying to ignore the heat prickling at her skin, a result of his magic or something else, she didn't know. His grin was weak when he looked at her, giving her hand a gentle squeeze, and Lucy didn't know what to say to make any of it better. Instead of prying, she simply waited for him to speak, prattling on about nothing and everything until the light returned to his eyes.

He bounced back quickly, and within ten minutes he was acting like nothing happened. Lucy doesn't know how much he saw, but she can only hope that he'll be okay. She'll be there if he wants to talk, and even if he doesn't, Lucy has no plans of going anywhere.

Natsu played with her fingers as she listened to Jose drone on about the proper safety regulations of flying, something that should be interesting, but the appeal of flying was dampened by the lectures of a bitter man with an unfortunate mustache. A shame really, she's always wanted to fly, to experience bird wings and hollow bones. There's something magical and terrifying about flying, a danger there than thrums through her blood.

She shivered as Natsu dragged his thumb across the back of her hand absentmindedly, and ignored the sly looks Levy kept shooting her between pretending not to fret over Gajeel, who very adamantly stated that he was "fucking fine" and didn't want any of their "damn coddling", among other choice words. Lucy believed him, figuring it would take more than whatever he saw to openly shake Gajeel.

Her foot tapped nearly the entire class as she watched Jose pace in front of them, his shoulders stiff. The professors have all been on edge since the first dragon attack, more subdued. Gildarts hasn't been nearly as cheerful, something she doubts will be improving anytime soon. Jose, in comparison, has been more biting than usual, snappish with everyone, which makes her feel just a little bit better, despite knowing how horrible it sounds.

Today, he seemed to latch onto Juvia more than anyone else, yelling at her until the girl began to cry, simply because she didn't know the answer to whatever question he asked. It was awful to see and hear, Juvia too shaken to say anything in defense of herself. She started shaking and Lucy and Levy were quick to pull her from the room, but not before Gajeel had enough.

Lucy didn't stay to watch, but she could hear Gajeel yelling from all the way down the hall, the sound barely muffled by the door and Juvia's quiet sobs. It took them the last twenty minutes of class to calm her down and get her to smile again, but none of them left the public bathroom until long after class was over, not wanting to accidentally run into their professor.

It took some coaxing, but they eventually made it back to the dorm, everyone else already waiting for them, Natsu pacing inside the main area, impatient as he waited for them to come back. He was more than a little relieved when they came back, yanking Lucy into a fierce hug and lifting her straight off the ground. It surprised her, Lucy clinging to him as he knocked the breath from her lungs.

It almost hurt, how tight he was squeezing her, and Lucy was prepared to shove him off her, but one look at his face made her go still. He looked haunted, his eyes too bright, almost panicked, fearful. She didn't realize how shaken he was earlier. Natsu was quiet, but seemed to brush it off, bouncing back far quicker than he should have.

He did the same thing after they came across the Emberwing, remaining almost too fine even when she spent the night breaking down, confused and horrified by what she saw. Natsu didn't seem affected at all, and she should have known better than to believe that was the case. Natsu cares about dragons just as much as she does, she should have known that he was just as shocked by what he saw as her.

They all calmed down fairly quickly after that, falling into a lazy afternoon as they tried to cheer up Juvia, resulting in a singing Gajeel and Sting and very reluctant Rogue putting on a sock-puppet show, which had most of them in stitches. Sting was surprisingly into it, changing his voice for each of the many characters, and Lucy learned that he's a very good actor. He was offset by Rogue, who read everything in monotone and seemed generally unhappy with being there, which honestly made the entire show even funnier.

Lucy can't remember the last time she laughed so hard.

Juvia cheered up fairly after that, even if her smile remained slightly smaller than usual for the rest of the night. Eventually they all curled up on the couches in the room, Sting putting on a marathon of cheesy high school and college movies for them all to watch before settling down on the floor beside Rogue, draping a blanket over the two of them and hogging all of the popcorn, much to Gajeel's annoyance. Eventually, Yukino joined them all as well, plopping down with Sting and Rogue halfway through some terrible romantic comedy that Lucy can't remember the name of.

Somehow, Juvia ended up squished between Gajeel and Levy on one couch, Gajeel acting as some kind of bodyguard for her, arms crossed as he glared at the TV like it might attack them. He doesn't look it, but Gajeel is quite the teddy bear when he wants to be. He's brash and uncouth and has the mouth of a sailor, but he's always gentle when one of them is upset. After the second movie, he stealthily dropped his arm across the back of the ouch, the tips of his fingers barely brushing against Levy's shoulder every few minutes, discreet about touching her. Levy, for her part, only leaned into his touch.

Gray, from his position on the other couch, kept glancing at Juvia throughout the night, subtle enough that Juvia never noticed, but in her half dozing state Lucy found herself staring at everything but the movie playing, noticing the little interactions between her friends and being distracted by the harsh angles of Natsu's jaw line.

She ended up cuddled up to him at some point, practically sitting on his lap halfway through some movie she didn't recognize, her legs tossed across his lap and her nose buried against the side of his neck, Lucy blinking sleepily as her gaze flicked between the screen and everything else going on. Happy joined them at some point, curling up between them and purring, content.

It's nearing midnight by the time Sting sets up the forth movie, Yukino already asleep and tucked between him and Rogue. Juvia is also asleep, head lolled against Gajeel's shoulder, though he doesn't seem to care much at all, letting Juvia sleep as he begins playing with a drowsy Levy's hair, making tiny braids absentmindedly.

Lucy squints up at Natsu through the darkness, the light from the TV illuminating only one half of his face, casting shadows on the side closest to her. As if feeling her stare, Natsu glances down at her, smiling when he catches her eye, and Lucy props her chin against his shoulder, drawing her heels tight against his thigh. He quirks a brow at her, the arm he has wound around her lower back squeezing her hip gently. Natsu ducks his chin, leaning in close to her, and Lucy's breath fans across his ear, making him shiver.

She bites her bottom lip for a moment, staring at his piercings in wonder as she chews her lower lip, suddenly struck with the thought of how they might taste. She shakes that aside, blinking rapidly, realizing how tired she really is, and curls closer against him, nosing his jaw.

"Are you okay?" she whispers, low enough so only he can hear. Natsu stiffens at the question, inhaling sharply, but he doesn't pull away from her, Lucy successfully trapping him against the couch as she curls her arm across his chest, pulling him into something resembling a hug. He doesn't fight her, relaxing into her embrace slowly, and eventually he drops her left hand onto her bare thigh, giving her a soft squeeze.

He stays quiet until she noses at him a second time, swallowing audibly. "Yeah," he murmurs, and Lucy doesn't believe him as much as she suspects he didn't believe her two weeks ago when she was upset about bonding with another dragon. "Why wouldn't I be?" Natsu asks, arm curling tighter around her waist as he pulls her flush against his side, shooting her a grin that's too wide to be genuine.

Her frown only deepens, and despite knowing how hypocritical it is, she wants to help him in any way she can. "Natsu…" she starts softly, trailing off when she doesn't know what to say. Instead she squeezes his waist, twisting to bury her face against the side of his neck, wishing there was something more she could do. She feels absolutely horrible, not knowing the right words to make him feel better, and she can only hope that being there can help, even if it's only a little.

Natsu's smile slips into something smaller, more genuine, and his gaze softens as he glances down at her. "I'm fine, Lucy," he promises, and it sounds like a lie. She doesn't call him on it, just tucks herself closer to his side, until there's almost no room left between them.

The room is cold in the early October air, and Lucy shivers slightly, nose wrinkling at the chill. It's been a cold week, and even the multitude of blankets and sweaters Lucy has can't combat the low temperatures. There hasn't been snow yet, but Lucy imagines it's only a matter of time.

"You can tell me if you're not," she reminds Natsu, sending him one last smile before curling against his side and pressing a soft kiss against the side of his throat, grazing the pale, raised scar on his neck. She hasn't asked about it, but she knows it must have hurt.

Natsu inhales sharply when she kisses him, but nods, his fingers curling through her loose hair as he squeezes her against his side.

* * *

 **AN: I've been having a lot of trouble with this fic, so if you guys would leave some nice reviews I would really appreciate it *insert heart emoji***


	11. Chapter 11

**AN: Be sure to drop a review when you're done! Enjoy!**

* * *

 **Igniparous**

 **Chapter Eleven**

Natsu drums his fingers against the table top, listening to Gray and Gajeel's chatter, the words becoming background noise, drowned out by the roaring in his ears. He sucks in a shaky breathe, chewing his bottom lip as he pushes around an orange slice on his tray, stomach rebelling as he considers eating his lunch. He hasn't been able to keep much down since earlier in the week, when he and Gajeel came across Gildarts and his dragon. The smell won't leave him alone, clinging to his clothes like some kind of vile cologne.

He requested a new uniform the other day, not wanting to touch the other one, but he doesn't know if his request has gone through yet. It might be another few days. He has a spare, of course, but he can only wear that so many days in a row.

Shaking his head slowly, he sighs, running a tired hand across the side of his face. He hasn't been doing much sleeping lately either, and that's beginning to become something of a problem. Porlyusica snapped at him the other day, and he wanted to be sorry for not paying attention, but the truth is he wasn't. He doesn't like the class, much less want to pay any attention when the his sense are clogged with the smell of burning flesh and he can't get the image of Mest's terrified expression out of his head.

He wants to be doing better, but he just can't _think_. His head hurts all the time, an ache settling deep in his skull, and he doesn't know how to make it stop. He considered going to Porlyusica for help, seeing if she knows something, but ultimately decided she wouldn't want to see him. Not that he blames her.

The dinning hall helps, the noise drowning out his thoughts, at least for a few moments. Gajeel and Gray are just trying to help him in the only way they can. They all have a bad habit of ignoring the problem until it goes away.

Gajeel doesn't like to talk about the things that bother him. His cousin would rather have his fingernails ripped off one at a time than have a heartfelt discussion about his feelings. Natsu knows he was just as shaken by what he saw as his cousin, though Gajeel did his best to hide it, shoved off everyone's concern and acted as grouchy as usual. Natsu wasn't surprised when he snapped at Professor Porla during class, the man deserving it after what he said. Gajeel's temper is already shorter than most, but usually he's better at holding himself back.

For a moment, Natsu was afraid he'd actually attack their professor.

Gray isn't much better, though he is slightly less dramatic. He simply puts on a cool mask, to the point where sometimes Natsu can't even tell something's wrong. There's only a few tells, and even though Natsu's known him for years he still can't always recognize them. Gray doesn't talk nearly as much when he's upset, clamming up and snapping at anyone that gets too close. He lashes out to the point of being intentionally hurtful, anything to be left alone. It's a bad habit, pushing everyone away, pretending like everything's fine, but Natsu's no better.

He's usually able to slap on a smile and pretend everything's normal, acting like nothing's bothering him in the slightest. When he was younger he managed to fool everyone: Igneel, his friends, himself to the point where for some time he forgot he could even be upset in a way that didn't involve violence. The anger was always easier, hitting things, bleeding, that was easy.

Talking to people is always harder.

Natsu thought he fooled everyone pretty well after what happened, waving off everyone's concern easily, though his smile might have been tighter than usual. It should have worked, but somehow Lucy looked right through him and recognized him for a liar. Natsu knew from the moment she walked into Flight Theory that she could see through the smile he put on, and he wasn't surprised when she asked him about it that night.

She was so small, pressed up against his side like that, breath warm against his ear as she asked if he was okay. He felt horrible lying, wanting to trust her with his feelings, but something in him twisted at his gut, a reminder that she hadn't told him the truth either. It stung more than anything else, and he was almost ashamed of the bitterness that crawled through him, but then she kissed him, so light he almost didn't notice, and he wished he'd told her.

He wonders if telling her would have helped, if only a little. If somehow it would have kept the images and the smells from creeping into his thoughts.

Natsu's eyes snap up from his tray, and he sets down his fork, food half-eaten, but it's a start. Gray and Gajeel begin bickering about something, Gajeel's homework for his government course, he thinks, only half paying attention to what they're saying, the two of them sitting across from him and glaring down at a piece of wrinkled paper covered in blue smudges from the blueberries Gray was eating. He figures that's what sparked the argument, and it draws a small smile to his lips, Natsu snorting as they begin to argue louder, Gajeel swatting at Gray.

His gaze trails to the side, sweeping over the room of unfamiliar people, and suddenly he stills as the smell of burned flesh assaults his sense.

 _He and Gajeel were walking down the hall, the pair of them bickering and shooting insults at each other as they took a turn, heading for Gildarts' office. Natsu wanted to know what classes the man would be offering during second semester, finding that Dragonology was one of the only classes that really interested him besides their magic class and weapons training. Flight Theory should have been interesting, but his excitement for flying was dampened by their professor, Natsu unable to stand the man for what he did to both him and Lucy._

 _Gajeel decided to tag along with him, also interested in taking another Dragonology class, but also because they both needed to call their fathers, Gajeel figure it would be easier for them to all talk together. There was something wicked in his eyes when he said it, and Natsu had no doubt he would try to embarrass him in front of both their parents._

 _He forgot that Natsu had just as much on Gajeel as his cousin had on him, possibly even more. He managed to stay out of trouble for the most part, the semester going well for him, but he guessed his cousin would take the chance to bring up Lucy._

 _Which would be fine with Natsu, considering he could just as easily mention Levy, something that would mortify Gajeel more than Lucy would fluster him._

 _Gajeel cracked some joke about Professor Porla, mocking his hideous mustache, and Natsu cackled, his laughter cutting off abruptly as the smell of smoke and something awful curled through him. Pungent and acidic, Natsu felt bile rise in his throat as he caught sight of several figures standing down the hall._

 _A second year Natsu vaguely recognized stood off to one side of the hallway, expression haunted. He looked up, locking eyes with Natsu, and he stopped, freezing in place at the petrifying look in his eyes. He shook his head slowly, mouthing something Natsu couldn't hear, and his gaze shifted to a black mass lying in the middle of the hallway, shards of glass decorating the floor. An awful smell curled through the air, like something rotten, and Natsu recognized the charred shape for what it was._

 _A body._

Natsu inhales sharply as he comes back to reality, hands shaking slightly. He swallows thickly, ignoring the lump in his throat as he stares across the table at his friends, blurting the first thing that comes to mind. "Breaking into Professor Porla's office and breaking some stuff," he snaps gaining their rapt attention, "pros and cons." His hands tighten into fists, Natsu clenching his jaw and breathing through his nose, trying to ignore the smell tickling his senses.

They exchange a look, Gray nodding slightly, and Gajeel turns back to him with narrowed eyes. "Pro," he grumbles, "you'll have fun." Natsu snorts, hoping he isn't giving his cousin any ideas. As much as they'd all love knock Porla down a bit, none of them need to be getting in trouble.

"Con," Gray counters immediately, snorting and rolling his eyes. "If you get caught, he'll probably give you detention again," he says, looking pointedly at the still healing bruises on Natsu's fingers, frown deepening just the slightest. They were both pissed about Jose's form of punishment for him, and he knows they're itching to do something eventually.

Natsu can't say he doesn't feel the same way.

Gajeel hums, crossing his arms as he considers Gray's point. His brow furrows, and he plants his elbows against the table, hunching over as he thinks of anything to oppose Gray's argument, his competitive side already flaring. "Pro," he murmurs, rubbing at his cheek and wrinkling his nose. "If Porla doesn't find out it was _you_ , you could probably get away with anything in this school.

Gray shakes his head, snorting softly. "Con. You could be thrown out of the school." They all wince at that, each of them knowing what a shit show that would be. Igneel would be disappointed in him, and Natsu doesn't know where he'd go if that happened, having nowhere to go back to.

After a long moment, Gajeel nods, conceding the argument as he glances down at his tray, pushing at a carrot with his fork. He grins, trying to hide it behind his hand, but it doesn't work. Natsu stares at him warily, narrowing his eyes, and Gajeel cackles, sending him a wicked look. "Pro," he teases. "Lucy might kiss you."

For a moment, Natsu very seriously contemplates murder.

"Shut up, Gajeel," is his comeback, Natsu feeling his face flush despite his best efforts to _not_ make a fool of himself.

"What?" he snickers, pointing at Natsu with his fork and quirking a brow, clearly pleased with getting a reaction out of his cousin. "You don't want Lucy to kiss you?" Gajeel asks him, a look of mock surprise on his face. Natsu groans, sinking low in his seat, and Gajeel cackles, all too pleased to be annoying him.

Gray glances between them, frowning and thinking hard about something. "I'd let Lucy kiss me," he muses, nodding slowly as he considers it. Gray ignores the nasty glare Natsu shoots his way, something sour on his tongue as he thinks about Lucy and Gray together.

"Why would she wanna kiss you?" Gajeel asks, looking as disgusted as Natsu feels. He scoffs at Gray, shaking his head as if the idea is simply ridiculous, and the two start bickering again, Gray insulted by the insinuation and Gajeel just wanting to pick a fight.

Natsu rolls his eyes, grabbing the half-eaten orange off his tray and popping a wedge into his mouth, chewing slowly as he observes the two of them, shaking his head. "Don't you two already have enough lady trouble without trying to kiss someone else?" he murmurs, amused.

Gray and Gajeel both tense.

"That's a low blow," Gajeel murmurs, glaring at Natsu sharply before tearing his gaze away, wincing as he sees Juvia and Levy enter the room, laughing together as they head for the dwindling line for food. Gajeel watches them for a moment too long before making a disgusted face that does nothing to hide the red creeping up his neck. He pouts and sends Natsu another nasty look before turning back to his tray and playing with his fork.

Gray stares at Juvia, barely blinking as he mumbles, "I don't know what lady trouble you're talking about." He wets his lips, ripping his eyes away when the girls turn around, glancing at their table. Gajeel pretends to be interested in his food, shoving a spoonful of corn into his mouth, and Gray stares at the wall behind Natsu, ignoring them entirely.

Natsu sends them both disapproving looks before waving at the girls, plastering a smile on his face and wondering how he ended up being friends with such cowards.

Juvia smiles back brightly, waving so fast her hand blurs, but Levy just a quirks a brow as she sends him a smaller wave, clearly confused. Natsu can't say that he blames her for that.

Glaring, he turns back to his friends when the girls look away, his smile slipping into something more disapproving. "I'm talking about how you tried to hook up with Levy," he hisses at his cousin, jabbing a finger in his direction. Gajeel sputters slightly, and Gray gasps, gaze snapping to Gajeel, apparently not being privy to that information.

"You did what?" he asks, choking slightly on his glass of water.

Gajeel ignores him, shoving a threatening finger in Natsu's direction. "Hey," he growls, "Levy and I are fine and that's none of your business!" Natsu thinks he's about two seconds away from getting punched, but has to smother a grin at Gajeel's defensiveness.

"Yeah," Natsu agrees, snorting and rolling his eyes, "I'm sure you're great." He lays the sarcasm on thick, not fooled by his cousin. The two of them will probably dance around each other for the rest of the semester, and Gajeel will make a fool of himself with some grand gesture that fails spectacularly. Natsu's seen it happen before, and he doesn't have high hopes for Gajeel to not fuck things up somehow.

"Well, what about, Gray?" Gajeel asks, deflecting. He twists in his seat to glare at the man next to him, sneering as Gray looks up from his sandwich, stopping mid-bite. Gajeel crosses his arms, keeping one eye on the girls to make sure they don't accidentally walk in on the conversation, and stares at Gray demandingly.

Gray slowly sets his sandwich aside, eyeing Gajeel warily, as if he might suddenly attack. Natsu wouldn't put that passed his cousin. Gajeel does have a bad habit of over-reacting about the smallest things. "What _about_ me?" Gray mumbles, eyes narrowing suspiciously.

"You hooked up with waterworks and you've been moody because of it," Gajeel states, raising a challenging brow and practically daring him to deny it.

Natsu hides a smile, not wanting to pick a fight with Gray at the moment. Any other time he would rib his friend for his situation, but his heart isn't in it right now. He only knows second hand information, and that was coming from a very emotional and devastated girl, so Natsu can't be sure how accurate it is, but from what he understood, Gray decided to stick his dick where it didn't belong, then got scared when the prospect of a relationship was brought up.

Honestly, Natsu thinks Gray would be a lot happier if he would settle down and stop being a commitment-phobe, but he doubts that'll happen anytime soon. Which is a shame, really, because Juvia seems to actually like him, and Gray has been pissy ever since he started avoiding the girl, pining rather blatantly.

Natsu might not be the best at romance, but Gray has been staring at Juvia with heart-eyes all damn week and it's making him kind of sick.

Gray inhales sharply, turning a fantastic shade of red. "Juvia told you?" he hisses, glaring at them both.

"Dumbass," Gajeel sneers, rolling his eyes before sharing an exasperated look with Natsu. "Girls talk." He shrugs, and Natsu raises a brow wondering who Gajeel's been gossiping with.

Gray crosses his arms, shifting awkwardly in his seat, and huffs. "Okay, yeah," he admits, not looking pleased about having to talk about his sex-life. "We hooked up at the party, she wanted something more, I didn't, end of story."

It's a load of bullshit, but Natsu doesn't have time to call Gray out on it, noticing the girls headed their way.

"Yeah," he agrees sarcastically, pushing his tray away and standing, "it sounds like it." They stare up at him curiously, but Natsu waves them off, glancing up at the clock, noticing how late it's getting. Making a spilt-second decision, he wets his lips. "Look, I'm gonna go call my dad, all right?" He tells them, managing a small smile. "I'll catch you guys later."

* * *

Natsu slips out of the dinning hall quietly, phone heavy in his hand as he heads down the hallway, no destination in mind, only knowing that he can't stay in that room, not right now. He's never been able to stay in one place when calling Igneel, always needing to wander, getting lost in what his father is saying. Igneel is a talker, an even bigger one than Natsu is. He'll tell stories for days if people allow him to. Honestly, if Natsu could just talk to Igneel for hours he would, but it's an impossible wish at the moment.

It's been nearly ten months since he's seen Igneel, and Natsu has no idea when the next time will be. He can only hope that Igneel will come home sometime over the winter, or maybe the summer. He knows it's unfair for him to expect so much, but it's been hard. Igneel was there every single day of his life for _years_ and then he was just gone. Natsu's tried not to dwell on that, but it always leaves a bitter taste in his mouth.

He loves Igneel, and it hurts, not seeing him everyday. Natsu's only lucky that he didn't end up alone. Gray and Gajeel were always right there with him, in the same situation. They had each other, and that was the only thing that kept the sting out of being left behind. He can only hope he'll be joining Igneel soon.

Fiddling with his phone, Natsu hesitates pulling up Igneel's name in his contacts, finger hovering over the button. He chews at his lip, thinking about what Gajeel told him earlier, about how Mikhail seems in good spirits, the fighting lulled. The Border in the North has been quiet for ages, patrols more than anything else. Igneel is nothing more than a Ranger despite his ranking, a glorified scout at the moment. He's in no danger, but Natsu is still terrified of making that call, afraid he'll receive bad news.

The Frost Giants have gone dormant, it seems, rarely breaching the outposts. The fighting is rare, but the cold will kill, and even then only during the darkest months of winter, when the sun sets early in the night. Again, Natsu considers himself lucky that his father isn't fighting on the Deluce border. The tentative truce there can't last forever, tensions will eventually boil over, it'll become too much. He doesn't know what will happen then, if an all out war occurs. More recruits will be sent to Deluce, and he doesn't know if that will mean his friends or his father.

Eventyr isn't the only Dragonology university in Ishgar. In fact, it's one of fifteen, the population of each varying. At any given time, there are likely over two thousand graduates, though not all of them enter the Corps after completing their education.

He knows Gajeel has the same concerns as him in regards to his father being in the north, though Gajeel has always waited for Mikhail to contact him first, never wanting to cause a distraction. Igneel has never been the best about calling first, constantly losing track of time and forgetting to charge his phone, his battery draining quickly in the cold weather.

Natsu as no idea if his father will even answer, but he has to try.

Steeling himself, Natsu finally presses down on his father's name, lifting his phone to his ear with a sigh. It rings twice, then a third time, and Natsu considers hanging up, figuring Igneel is too busy to take the call. Natsu's been waiting a month to talk to him, but he can wait a little longer, no matter how much it tugs at his stomach, making him sick.

Natsu wets his lips, chewing the bottom one, and shakes his head, beginning to pull the phone from his ear when he hears the click. He stills, a brief silence coming across the phone, and then a loud, "Hello?" spills from the phone, a deep timber that Natsu recognizes easily, having lived with it for roughly ten years. Natsu thinks he would know that voice anywhere.

"Hey, Dad," he greets softly, a smile automatically spreading across his face when he hears the familiar voice. He relaxes slightly, heading down the hallway and ignoring the other students as he passes them, deciding he'd rather talk with his father somewhere quiet.

Static crackles through the phone, silence coming from the other end, and Natsu is afraid the connection has been lost, a common occurrence whenever he tries to call Igneel. He wishes the signal were better, but there's not much he can do about that.

A moment later he hears laughter spilling over the phone. "Natsu!" Igneel shouts, and he has to yank the phone away from his ear, his father is so loud. Natsu shakes his head, smiling fondly, and smothers a laugh as Igneel's excited chatter floods through the speaker. "How've ya been?" he asks. "I haven't heard from you since you started." His tone is offended, almost reprimanding, and his grin only widens.

"Yeah, it's been a while," he agrees, sighing to himself as he walks down an empty hallway. "I've been busy," he tells his father, clearing his throat and trying hard not to mention what happened days earlier, not wanting to think about the dragon and the smell of burned flesh still clinging to his senses, following him around like some kind of specter.

Igneel makes a low sound of agreement and Natsu swallows down the lump in his throat. "Your classes goin' well?" There's a serious note to his words, and Natsu manages a small smile, knowing how important his grades are to his father. Igneel only wants the best for him, after all.

"Yeah," he replies, ducking down a hallway, not really paying attention to where he's going, lost in his memories and the sound of Igneel's voice. "Yeah, I'm passing them." For the most part, anyway. He decides not to mention his biology course. He's been trying his best, but the course just doesn't click well with him. Lucy's been studying with him, and that's been helping. "I have a fire affinity," he informs his father, grinning. He wanted to tell Igneel weeks ago, but it's been hard to reach him lately.

"That's great! I knew you had it in you," Igneel praises, pride seeping into his words and making Natsu's smile widen so much that his cheeks begin to hurt. He stops walking, finding himself in an unfamiliar area, but simply shrugs and leans back against the nearest wall, deciding not to let it bother him. "Grandine always thought you were a lightning bug, but I knew better," he continues, boasting, scoffing slightly as he mentions his girlfriend.

"Well, you did raise me," Natsu jokes. He can't imagine anyone that would know him better than Igneel; Gajeel, maybe, but Natsu can't be sure how much his cousin really pays attention to what he says.

The stone is cool against his back, chilling him through his sweatshirt, but Natsu barely notices, his fingers tapping against the wall absentmindedly.

Igneel snorts, and Natsu can practically hear the smile in his voice when he speaks. "Damn right I did!" He chuckles about something, murmuring a quiet word to someone else in the room, possibly his uncle, or maybe Ur. Natsu wonders if he should say hello. "How are you, Natsu?" Igneel asks him softly, suddenly much quieter than before.

He debates telling the truth, wanting to tell Igneel everything about the past month, but pauses at the last second, choking on the words. "Good," he says instead. "I'm…good." He clears his throat, running his free hand down the side of his face and closing his eyes. "We got our eggs, about two weeks ago."

"That right?" Natsu nods despite himself, shaking his head when he remembers Igneel's not there. "What do you think yours is?" he asks curiously, making Natsu laugh.

"Something that keeps burning me," he jokes, glancing down at the small burns littering his fingers, a dozen of them scattered across his palms. He doesn't have the slightest clue what type of dragon it is, but he's getting kind of tired of unintentionally hurting himself.

He chats with Igneel for several more minutes, the two of them talking about anything thing and everything, catching up after being apart for so long. He didn't quite realize how much he was missing his father until just now. With everything going on, he just wasn't thinking. Guild swells inside him, but he knows Igneel doesn't blame him for not calling earlier.

He'll just have to do better next time.

"Natsu!" a familiar voice suddenly calls his name. His head snaps up, and he blinks rapidly, frowning curiously when he sees Lucy rushing towards him, a serious look on her face as she speeds over to him, sending him a small smile when he glances at her nervously.

"Lucy?" he murmurs, speaking more to himself, drinking in the sight of her coming towards him, looking pretty in her shorts and sweater, wearing almost exactly the same thing she wore the night of the party, only this time her hair is falling around her face in a curtain.

"Lucy?" Igneel repeats, something sly in his tone, and Natsu curses, groaning as he imagines what must be running through Igneel's mind. Lucy stills when she sees the phone in his hand, expression apologetic, but he only smiles at her, letting her know it's fine. "Natsu, is that a _girl_?" Igneel teases him, snickering, and Natsu considers hanging up the phone.

He ignores his father, deciding it's not worth it.

"I've been looking for you everywhere," Lucy tells him suddenly, reaching out and lacing their fingers together gently. His eyes widen, but he allows her to tug him forward, pulling him along. "Come with me?" she asks him, glancing over her shoulder almost nervously. He stares down at her curiously, but finds himself nodding, wanting to see whatever she plans to show him.

He clears his throat, turning back to his phone as Lucy leads him down the hall, practically jogging as she pulls him towards a flight of stairs, glancing back at him occasionally as if he might disappear on her. "Dad," he blurts, feeling a smile pull at his lips as he chases after Lucy. "I have to…" he trails off, not sure what he wants to say, and Igneel begins to laugh.

"Go, you sly dog," he jokes, cackling over the phone, and Natsu laughs along with him, eyes locking with Lucy's for a moment. She grins at him, and Natsu mumbles a hasty goodbye before ending the call. His phone is shoved into his pocket, his grip on Lucy growing firm, and he matches her pace as they stumble up the stairs.

* * *

Natsu gropes blindly for the curved wall of the winding staircase, his right hand clenching tighter around Lucy's as she leads him upwards, reminding him every few seconds to keep his eyes closed. He follows her instructions willingly, trusting her to lead him to wherever she wants to take him. Lucy is careful, tying his own scarf around his head so he can't see, the mid-October nights growing colder and colder. There'll be snow soon, if he had to guess, and he's honestly more excited for it than he ever would have thought. He never used to like what little there was in Hargeon. It was always in the way and it was a pain to shovel, Ignis too stubborn of a dragon to help.

He thinks he might enjoy it here, the winter, the snow.

Lucy's fingers squeeze around his, and she giggles as he stumbles on a step, her hands on his shoulders the only thing keeping him from tumbling down. He mumbles a curse under his breath, groping for her hands, and Lucy slips them back into his, guiding him up the seemingly never-ending stairs.

"Lucy," he murmurs, threading his fingers through hers, the world around him nothing but black. He sucks in a shaky breath, squeezing her a bit tighter, uneasy with his sudden lack of sight. He trusts Lucy, probably more than he should, but he doesn't like being kept in the dark. It doesn't scare him, per se, in never has, but he doesn't like the way it prickles at his skin, everything more sensitive than it should be. "Where are you taking me?" he asks her, not expecting an answer. Every time he's questioned her, she's only giggled and murmured quiet reassurance, pulling him closer to her.

She stops them suddenly, a step above him, and releases his hands, letting her fingertips drag up his arms slowly, dragging a shiver from him. Lucy cups his face, leaning into him until her chest brushes against him, and Natsu's own hands fumble for her hips, pulling her flush against him. Her breath ghosts over his face, Lucy's thumb brushing against his bottom lip, and then she shifts, lips against his ear. "Just trust me?" she whispers, so close that her hair tickles his skin, the smell of her surrounding him completely, chasing away the charred flesh and smoke.

He wets his lips, nodding jerkily, and Lucy hesitates before leaning back, hands finding his on her waist. For a moment she leaves them there, simply covering his hands, but eventually her digits slip through his, familiar and soft, and she begins leading him once more.

He's lead forward for several more minutes, fingers curling around Lucy's tightly, and then suddenly she stops, solid ground beneath their feet as they shift away from the stairs and into an open area. Natsu frowns, unsure where they could be, and startles when he feels a cool breeze curling around the two of them, a strange scuffling sound reaching his ears.

Something brushes against his ear and he jolts, Lucy giggling at his reaction, and when she tells him to open his eyes, Natsu is quick to do so. He glances around wildly, taking a half-step backwards when he realizes where he is. The back of his foot slips against the top of the staircase, and he nearly tumbles backwards, Lucy hands on his arms the only thing keeping him steady. His grip on her tightens and she hauls him forward, grinning as he looks around the room in complete awe.

A breathless laugh spills from him, Natsu releasing Lucy to spin in a slow circle, taking in the arches circling them, and mouths wordlessly at the stone pillars. The wind blows through the opening in the walls, autumn leaves catching the breeze. He catches one in his hand, crumpling it slightly, and turns back to Lucy with a wide grin, unsure what to feel other than amazement.

The smile she sends him in return is soft, her eyes a bit sad, and he realizes why she brought him up here. His gaze lowers slightly, Natsu's lips curling into a frown when he thinks about what happened the other day, something he would rather not remember. But the thought disappears as quickly as it comes when Natsu catches sight of the object behind Lucy.

It's a bell.

Natsu blinks for a moment, confused, but then inhales sharply when he realizes they're in the northern bell tower. He's only heard about it before. None of their professors have ever mentioned it before. It's always simply been there, something unmentionable.

For a long moment, all he can do is stare, the bell's beauty astounding. Natsu takes a step closer, Lucy shifting to the side for him to get a better look. Gold and garnet invade his sight, the bell shimmering in the low light, the red jewels decorating the outside flickering like fire, shifting and swirling with the changing light.

Slowly, he reaches out, a finger tracing down the slopped side, dragging slowly as he circles one of the gemstones, squinting to figure out what it is, but not recognizing it. He considers asking Lucy, but the words stick in his throat when he looks at her, unable to simply breathe when her gaze locks with his, the setting sun turning her to gold. She wets her lips, taking several steps closer to him until she's nearly touching him, only inches away.

Without thinking about it Natsu reaches out, fingertips ghosting against her cheek, brushing her hair away from her eyes. Lucy leans into his touch just the slightest, Natsu almost not noticing.

"She's called Regina," Lucy tells him, breath fanning across his face. Natsu shivers, confused for a moment before realizing she means the bell. She glances over her shoulder at the golden bell, reaching out to drag a thin finger down the sloping side, grazing one of the gems almost teasingly.

Natsu follows her hand on the bell, deciding that the name fits. "Queen," he breathes back to her, hand joining Lucy's against the cool metal. His fingers brush against hers, tentative, but he links them together when she doesn't pull away from him. He stares at their connected hands for a long moment, Lucy's palm warm against his, soft, and he takes a small step closer, until she's practically pinned between him and the bell.

Lucy doesn't appear to mind, relaxing against him, chin tilted so she can meet his eyes. "After the first empress of Pergrande," she whispers, wetting her lips. Her free hand comes up to settle on his shoulder, fingers twisting through the fabric of his jacket, and Natsu's fingers curl around her hip, pressing her to him gently. "This bell travel a long way."

"She's beautiful," Natsu murmurs back to her, squeezing her hip gently, gaze burning against hers. Lucy releases a shaky sound, her nose bumping against his gently, and Natsu's gaze dips to her mouth, wondering if she'd taste as sweet as she smells. He's not loath to admit he likes Lucy. She's a nice girl, funny, and he feels like he can talk to her about almost anything, but he doesn't know if she feels the same as him. She's lied to him before, pretending she was fine when he knew she wasn't, and that stung more than he'd like to admit, but he respects her. She can tell him when she's ready.

Lucy sighs suddenly, leaning into him, and her fingers wiggle out of his grasp, Lucy's slinking around his waist as she burrows against him. He stills slightly, inhaling when she rests the side of her face against his chest, nosing against him. For a long moment she doesn't say a word, simply clings to him, and Natsu doesn't hesitate to return her embrace, his fingers winding through her hair.

She turns slightly, lips pressing against the side of his neck, and his grip on her tightens, hand cradling the curve of her waist. Lucy is soft against him, curving against his chest until there's hardly space between them, Natsu pressing her to him tightly. "When my mother died," she whispers, breath skimming his throat and dragging an inappropriate shiver from him, "her dragon went berserk." Natsu's eyes widen, and he pulls back enough to look down at her, though Lucy's gaze stays on the scar on his neck. "He was so consumed by his grief that he hurt people." This time she does glance up, sending him a very small smile. "That's why I was afraid of bonding with an egg."

"Lucy," he murmurs, wincing, and leans into press his forehead against hers, rocking them slightly. His fingers trace small circles against her back, and Natsu is close enough to feel to tear that drips from the corner of her eye, Lucy inhaling sharply. She shakes her head, and he holds her tighter to his chest. He never would have guessed that was why she was upset. He knew about her mother, but he never thought much about the dragon.

She noses at him, leaning in to press her lips against his cheek briefly, tucking herself flush against his ribs. "I didn't tell you that because I wanted you to feel bad, Natsu." She hushes him gently, winding herself around him, and Natsu almost hopes she never lets him go. "I want you to know I trust you. And if you ever want to talk about what happened, I…" she trails off, but he understands, his heart squeezing at the waver in her voice, the _honesty_.

Somehow he feels lighter, knowing that she trusts him enough to tell him this.

"I know," he murmurs back to her, twisting to press his mouth to her temple, resting there. "I know. Thank you, Lucy." He means it too, finally understanding why she brought him up here, why she spent all day trying to find him. He tightens his grip on her waist, fisting at her sweater, and suddenly wants to feel her skin against his. "There's not much to talk about," he tells her, sighing as his hands twitch against her back, Lucy arching into him slightly.

It's not a lie. He's upset and disgusted by what he saw, but he thinks he'll be able to move passed it, in time. He doesn't want to talk about it, not yet, but knowing that she'll listen when he's ready is what matters to him.

"You're upset," she whispers, propping her chin against his shoulders and meeting his gaze. Her eyes turn gold, reflecting the light of the moon, and he noses at her, making her smile just the slightest.

"I am" he admits, smiling down at her. One of his hands slips beneath the fabric of her sweater, palm pressing against the small of her back and dragging her closer. "Thank you," he tells her, pinkie brushing against the thin strip of skin where her shirt has ridden up in the back, "thank you for trying, Lucy. It means a lot to me." She simply curls tight against his chest, her own fingers creeping beneath his shirt, her skin cold against his. "Tell me about your family?" he asks her, eyes slipping shut as the wind whips around them.

And she does, telling him about what little she remembers of her mother, how similar they look and how smart and strong she was. Lucy tells him about her father, who's been missing for months now, no word on where he is or if he's even still alive. She tells him how he was never the best father, but he's the only one she's ever had. Her nails bite into his back as she speaks, but he only coils around her tighter, holding her together as she spills herself to him. Lucy tells him about her cousin, alive, but not speaking to her for some reason. Her voice becomes bitter as she talks about him leaving without a word, how much it hurt and how it still upsets her, even after all this time.

"Laxus and my dad," she murmurs sometime later, when it feels like they've been standing there for ages and the cold is beginning to numb his fingers, Lucy shivering against him as the last bit of light bleeds from the sky. "They, uh, they didn't get along." His palm slips all the way beneath her shirt, Lucy shivering a leaning further against his chest, a soft sound pulling from her as his chilly fingers trace circles against her spine.

Wetting his lips, he dares to drag his hands higher on her back, his palms sliding up her sides and pressing to her ribcage, Natsu dragging her sweater along with him. "Why not?" he asks, fingers pattering against her sides nonsensically. Lucy gasps when his thumb tickles the bottom of her bra, but doesn't pull away.

"There was one summer, I must have been seven, maybe eight." Lucy presses up on her toes, hands slipping from beneath his shirt to wind around his neck, arms looping around him loosely. "Laxus was twelve and he was supposed to be watching me while our parents talked." She pauses, and Natsu noses at her cheek, urging her to continue. "There was an accident, nothing major, but I broke my arm." Lucy giggles against him and Natsu can't help laughing along with her, though he winces empathetically, knowing how badly it must have hurt.

"Why would your dad blame him for that?" Natsu mumbles against her ear, continuing to tease her skin gently, heart pounding beneath his ribs as Lucy presses a soft kiss to the side of his neck, much like she did the other night. He molds her against him, Lucy curves soft beneath his touch, and he's finding it hard to keep his hands from wandering across every inch of her.

She giggles, tucking her nose against his neck, making him wince at the chill. "Because Laxus was supposed to be watching me, and I fell out of a tree," she admits, groaning when he laughs, quietly calling her a troublemaker, a fond edge to his voice. "He was the first to sign my cast though," Lucy continues after their shared laugh. "And he held my hand the entire time I was at the hospital." He smiles against her hair, dragging his fingertips along her sides. "What about you?"

"I grew up in Hargeon, near the coast." He tucks her neatly against him, aware of how cold it's getting, autumn creeping up on them quickly. They should probably head back to their dorm soon, before they freeze up here. "It was just me and Igneel." He smiles, thinking about his home and wondering whatever happened to it, the apartment likely rented out to someone else now. "I don't remember my birth parents. Or much of anything before Igneel adopted me," Natsu admits to her, palm smoothing up and down her back absently. "He's a good guy. I think he'd like you," he breathes against her, fingers tickling at her bare skin.

He tells her stories for what seems like forever, letting his fingers glide along her skin, Lucy relaxed against his chest, dozing slightly as it grows darker, the sun setting on them early. Lucy shivers, giggling as he tells her about some of the things he did with Gajeel and Gray when they were younger, all the trouble that seemed to follow them.

He tells her more about Igneel, about growing up in Hargeon, how beautiful it is there. In return, she tells him about all the places she's been and everywhere she'd like to go, the things she wants to see. Natsu responds in turn, fingers dragging along her spine as he tells her his plans to travel the world, wanting to see everything. She asks about the Corps, about he plans to do, and he tells her he just doesn't know anymore, that he doesn't think they should have to decide so young.

They slip into mindless chatter, holding each other as the wind blows.

"This bell rings every night at midnight," Lucy tells him sometime later, propping her chin on his shoulder and smiling up at him. Her fingers tangle in the short hairs at the back of his neck, teasing the strip of skin there, and Natsu shudders beneath her touch, pressing her closer to his chest. "And do you know why?" she asks him. Natsu frowns down at her glancing back at the bell curiously. He plays with the hem of her sweater, thinking to himself.

"Because that's what bells do?" he murmurs back, grinning when she giggles, her nose bumping against his gently, Lucy guiding him a step backwards. He allows her to lead him several feet back, trusting her to hold him up, and Lucy stops once they're some distance from the bell. Her gaze locks with him, Lucy close enough to taste, Natsu only needing to dip his chin.

She smiles, Natsu feeling the quirk of her mouth as it brushes against his. "Cover your ears," she warns him, lips moving against his. He frowns, opening his mouth to ask what she means when a bang splits the air. Lucy hurries to cover her ears, releasing him momentarily, and Natsu is quick to do the same, bewildered.

The bell rings loudly, the tower lighting up, giving the room a soft glow. There's a whirl of motion above them, and Natsu's gaze snaps up in time to see a flurry of dark feathers. The bell keeps ringing, and a flock of small dragons bursts from the rafters to take flight. Him and Lucy are showered in feathers and dust, Lucy laughing as the dragons race around them. The Dusktails twirl in the air as the sound of the bell dies off, their soft trills filling the air.

He watches them for a long moment, barely able to breathe, and then turns back to Lucy. She grins back at him, a nervous flicker in her eyes, and something inside him snaps. He grabs her by the hips, Lucy gasping as she's dragged against his chest. Natsu dips his chin, breath ghosting her lips, and Lucy murmurs his name, hands coming up to capture his cheeks.

He hesitates only a moment before leaning into her, catching Lucy's lips in a sweet kiss. She sighs against him, taking a step closer to his chest and letting her arms slide around his neck. Natsu's hands slip around her waist, his mouth moving against Lucy's slowly, tentative, and Lucy presses up on her toes to kiss him harder. She steals his breath, Natsu unable to simply think as her fingers curl through his hair, Lucy dragging him down to her.

Natsu breaks away with a gasp, chest heaving, and sees Lucy's doing the same, her arms wound around him tight and her body molded against his.

Her lip trembles, silently forming his name, and Natsu murmurs her name as she pulls him down once again.

* * *

 **AN: idk what I want to do with this fic, so I'm just warning you all ahead of time that I won't be updating this fic in September. Chapter twelve will be up next week though! Be sure to drop a review and tell me your thoughts on this chapter!**


	12. Announcement

Hey everyone! I know this is probably not the update you want to see, but I just wanted to say that Igni is going to be having some large renovations. When I was writing this I was focusing too much on hitting a word count instead of focusing on what mattered, and then I found out someone was copying/plagiarizing the idea for this fic and I just really couldn't get passed that at first.

After thinking about things for a while, I've decided that I'm basically going to be starting this fic over. Not completely, but there are things I want to switch around and characters I want to remove/shift elsewhere, and plots I need to push back or add earlier. I also want to add more of the dragon taming aspect of this fic, because that's what it was supposed to be about and it's just... kind of not?

Anyway! I will probably be deleting some chapters, and chapters we've already read will show up later in the fic.

I just wanted to let you all know about this now! I'll be starting edits soon, but might not be posting this fic again until November at the latest. I'm just not happy with where it is, and hope you can all remain patient with me! Thanks for reading!

(note, this AN will be deleted before I begin posting chapters again)


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